04 April 2004	Sunday	13 Safar 1425

RAWALPINDI, April 3: The reported cases of child sexual abuse in the country jumped to 1,788 last year from 679 in 2002, which shows that every day about five children were subjected to sexual assault.

The annual report - Cruel numbers year 2003 - has been released by Sahil, an NGO. It was prepared after monitoring of 27 national newspapers during the year.

The report said 1,109 additional cases of child sexual abuse were registered during the year as compared to 679 cases in 2002.

As many as 1,282 of the cases occurred in Punjab, 379 in Sindh, 92 in Fata, 26 in NWFP and nine in Balochistan. Some 65 per cent of the cases took place in urban areas. The findings showed that 526 (30 per cent) of the victims were boys and 1,262 (70 per cent) girls.

As many as 33 of the victims were murdered after being sexually molested. Majority of them were boys as the culprits feared that they could take revenge or report the incident to police.

About 616 cases were in the category of abduction, 213 molestation, 28 molestation-murder, 460 rape/sodomy, 79 rape/sodomy murder, 359 gang-rape/sodomy and 33 gang-rape/sodomy murder.

According to the report, 76 per cent of the abusers were acquaintances to the victims, 16 per cent strangers, four per cent women abettors, 1.45 per cent maulvis, one per cent police, 0.45 per cent teachers and 1.16 per cent incest cases.

Moreover, none of the abusers was reported as mentally ill or psychotic. Interestingly, the report has recorded a skyrocketed increase in the number of women abettors. According to the statistics of year 2002, the number of women abettors was only five. However, it increased to 132 in 2003.

Some 258 children aged between six to ten years were assaulted, which included 115 (45 per cent) boys and 143 (55 per cent) girls. The highest number of cases, 402, were reported in the age group of eleven to 15 years - 246 (61 per cent) girls and 156 (39 per cent) boys. Similarly, 188 cases were reported in the age category of 16 to 18 years, including 146 (78 per cent) girls and 42 (22 per cent) boys. Age category of the victims in about 861 cases were not mentioned.

Out of the total cases, 1,434 (80 per cent) were registered with police. Those reported in the media and not registered by the police were about 130 (seven per cent). While the cases whose status was not clear in the print media numbered 224.

In 531 cases reported in the media, the victims (41 boys and 490 girls) were not identified, while in 1,181 cases (237 boys and 944 girls), the victims were identified by names. Similarly, photos of girl victims were printed in 28 cases, while in 48 cases (three males and 45 females), both names and pictures of the victims were printed.