ISLAMABAD: As many as 3,364 child abuse cases were reported from all the four provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) in the year 2024, according to a civil society report.

The report ‘Cruel Numbers 2024’ by Sahil was prepared based on data collected from 81 national and regional newspapers across the country.

“The objectives of the report is to present the data on the situation regarding violence against children (up to 18 years) in cases of sexual abuse, abduction/kidnapping, missing children, and child marriages. Other goals are to contribute to existing information on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in Pakistan and to contribute towards spreading awareness and information about different forms of CSA to all segments of society,” said Sahil.

These included reported cases of CSA, abduction, missing children, and child marriages. It shows that nine children were abused per day during the year. A gender-divide analysis indicates that out of the total reported cases, 1,791 (53pc) victims were girls and 1,573 (47pc) boys.

Sahil says report based on data collected from 81 national, regional newspapers

The children were most vulnerable to abuse in the age group of 11-15 years, in which more boys than girls’ victims were reported. Moreover, children as young as 0-5 years were also sexually abused.

The abusers’ category shows that acquaintances were re still the most involved in child sexual abuse, along with strangers and religious teachers.

The geographical-divide statistics shows that out of the total reported cases, 78pc cases were reported from Punjab, 12pc from Sindh, 4pc from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 4pc from Islamabad and 2pc cases from Balochistan, AJK, and GB.

Of the total, 93pc cases were registered with the police that was a positive sign of an active police. The cases of CSA were 1828, with both genders equally victimised. A total number of 56 cases was related to murder after sexual abuse. Moreover, 1204 cases were of abduction and 241 of missing children.

As many as 45 cases of child marriages were reported during the year of which 43 were of girls and two boys.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2025