ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on human rights was informed on Wednesday that 111 attempted rape, sodomy and rape and murder cases involving minor girls and boys had been reported since January.

“Ten minors were raped and then killed in district Kasur alone,” RPO, Shaikhupura, Sahibzada Mohammad Shahzad Sultan, told the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights.

The committee met to discuss the recent cases of rapes and murder in Kasur, which has been in the news for the crime. The issue was included in the agenda on the request of PTI Senator Samina Abid.

Senate body to visit Sheikhupura for a better understanding of the problem

The committee decided to visit Sheikhupura to meet officials from the local government and the residents for a better understanding of the problem of sexual acts against minors.

Members, especially ANP, Senator Sitara Ayaz, wondered if people in that region were sick in the head to commit such heinous crime against children. Nonetheless, in his briefing, the Kasur RPO, M Shahzad Sultan said that two boys and five minor girls were raped and murdered in Kasur this year.

Culprits in most of the cases have been arrested and convicted but the suspects are still at large in four rape-murder cases of girls.

“We believe that the murderer of the four girls is one person and we hope to apprehend him soon,” said the RPO, Sheikhupura. The rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl from Kasur is the latest in the series of rape-murder cases registered in July 2017, said the Sheikhupura RPO.

“The other 100 cases were mostly sexual harassment and attempted rape and sodomy in which the culprits were brought to book,” said Shahzad Sultan. The committee members were disturbed to learn that in most of these cases, the culprits were close family members and neighbours.

“The family members and neighbours can easily trap children as they can easily win children’s confidence,” said the senior police official.

However, the police had started regular patrolling streets especially around construction sites. Community was being taken on board and educated so that they could assist the police in reporting anything suspicious to prevent such heinous crime.

CCTV cameras are monitoring adults accompanying a minor. This practice has helped significantly and proved a deterrence, said the Sheikhupura RPO.

“What is really needed is education of children about sex. It is important to include sex education in curriculum to create understanding among children to help them identify a sexual predator,” said Shahzad Sultan.

Chairman of the committee, Senator, Mohammad Mohsin Khan Leghari, directed the RPO, Shaikhupura for a report on the progress made to apprehend the suspects who are still at large.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2017