IN 2015, when the Kasur child abuse scandal came to light, one of the victims, a teenager who had been sodomised for eight years, had said he contemplated killing himself every single day. A report in this paper on Monday revealed the victims’ continuing struggle to rebuild their lives. In the two years since the story broke, most of them have stopped going to school. Others have left their village and quit jobs, even changed their identities. Survival means the past must remain a secret. The crime was horrific: large numbers of children were filmed while being sexually abused, and parents blackmailed over the footage. That these children have not been offered rehabilitation opportunities promised by local authorities, including therapy intervention, is evidence of the government’s shameful indifference towards child rights. The trauma that the victims have endured can have long-lasting effects on their psyche, and lead to multiple problems. Sexual abuse is a risk factor for borderline personality disorder, depression and anxiety. Abused children are more liable to repeat the cycle of abuse as adults. Economic consequences often include costs associated with increased juvenile and adult criminal activity, mental illness and domestic violence. While some of the perpetrators in the case have been convicted, the authorities should also have ensured that police officials who had failed to lodge complaints were also punished.

On average, 11 children are abused every day, according to a report by Sahil, an organisation campaigning against child sexual abuse. Almost half of the victims are between six and 15 years. In certain conservative communities, where discussion about sexual matters is taboo, child rape is not understood for the violent crime that it is. Public messaging campaigns to address such misperceptions and safe centres for reporting child rape are needed. Rehabilitation opportunities through education and employment will help victims abandoned by their communities. And access to trained counselors in district clinics is an essential component for recovery. The state must do its duty by victims of child sexual abuse.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2017