KARACHI, July 25: The growing trend of suicide in children has been noted with serious concern in a report compiled and released by an NGO, Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), which appears alarmed by the “sudden and sharp rise” in child suicide figures in Pakistan last year recorded at no less than 180.

The annual report titled “The State of Pakistan’s Children 2006” released on Wednesday says violence against children in the country is rampant while the number of street children is also on the rise. It finds that at least 25,000 children live in streets of Karachi alone and an average four children are sexually abused a day.

The incidents of crime and violence against children also registered an increase last year as 4,386 such incidents were reported. According to the report, 704 children were murdered, 637 sexually assaulted, 1,008 kidnapped and 526 were physically tortured during the year whereas the number of children subjected to torture by police stood at 96.

The figures compiled by the NGO put the number of children sexually abused last year at 337, 340 female and 297 male.

It notes that in 47 per cent of the reported cases of sexual assault, the children are victimised by a family member —father, stepfather, uncle or an elder sibling. It further states that 49 per cent of sexual assaults were committed by a person known to the victim or his/her family like a teacher, coach, physician, clergyman, neighbour or activist.

The report says that 75 per cent of the children falling prey to “commercial” sexual exploitation come from the middle class. It reveals that 41 children were killed under the infamous custom of karo-kari (honour killing). The report estimate that more than 1,000 children were kidnapped over the year 2006.

In Karachi, 794 children were subjected to various kinds of abuse and violence. Of them 90 were murdered, 66 sexually assaulted, 377 disappeared, 90 kidnapped, 13 tortured by police, nine fell prey to human-traffickers and 133 were physically tortured. Another 16 committed suicide.Reminding the government of its responsibility to protect children, the report suggests an effective mechanism to be evolved for the purpose, and lays stress on enforcement of the relevant laws.