KARACHI, Oct 16: Seventy-seven women were subjected to rape in various localities of the city during the last nine months, the data compiled by the police shows.

The comparative data of rape cases explains that 71 women were raped in the year 2004, 78 in 2003 and 61 in 2002.

Capital City Police Officer Tariq Jamil was of the view that the rape incidents had occurred in the past as well, but media had not given them much coverage.

He claimed that the police entertained every complainant and registered an FIR. “As the police are informed about an incident, they respond to it promptly, register a case and start investigation into it,” he added.

The police data shows that out of total 77 reported cases, 38 were detected in which alleged rapists were held. However, the conviction rate was low because most of the rapists were bailed out due to lack of “credible or medical” evidence, a senior police officer said.

Apart from the rape incidents, 50 sodomy cases were reported in various localities during the last nine months as compared to 65 cases in the year 2004, 72 in 2003 and 51 in 2002. The victims of sodomy were mostly between four years and 16 years of age, the police sources said.

The police data shows that the suspects involved in 39 sodomy cases out of 50 have been arrested so far.

According to police data, 392 girls have been abducted reportedly from various parts during the last nine months. The CCPO said usually girls had eloped with their boy friends and got married. However, social restraints and cultural compulsions had forced parents not to accept such marriages and instead report about abduction of their girls to police.

In most of the cases, after investigation it transpired that the girls were 18 years or above, and she was legally allowed to marry a person of her choice.

The police statistics show that 531 cases about abduction of girls were reported last year, 492 in 2003, and 383 in 2002. The police figures show that 1,244 cases of abduction have been solved in which the girls are recovered and 554 cases are still pending with the investigation.