Karachi saw sudden increase in sexual abuse cases in 2022: Report

Karachi [Pakistan], December 27 : Over 200 sexual abuse cases were reported in Karachi in 2022 with at least six such cases reported in three and a half months -- half of them this month alone, reported The News International.
On December 13, a six-year-old Afghan girl was allegedly raped and killed after she went missing from outside her house. Later, the girl's body was recovered from a deserted house near the Gulshan-e-Maymar Afghan camp police checkpoint.
On December 8, a teenaged girl was raped and murdered by a man in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighbourhood.
On December 6, a 12-year-old girl was killed after being subjected to rape in a house located in the Jacob Lines area, while on November 18th, a seven-year-old girl was raped and killed in Landhi's Muslimabad area, which falls in the Quaidabad police station's jurisdiction.
On September 10, a 10-year-old girl was raped and killed in Kashmir Colony in the Mehmoodabad police station area, reported The News International.
Cases of minor girls' murder after rape have seen a disturbing rise in Karachi during 2022. Official data at Karachi police stations reveal that in eight of the 216 abuse cases, the victims were aged five years, 40 were between six and 10, 38 were between 15 and 18, and 95 were over 18.
Police have arrested the suspects in almost all the minor girls' rape and murder cases. Close relatives and neighbours were found involved in the majority of the incidents, reported The News International.
War Against Rape (WAR), a non-governmental organisation focusing on such incidents, also investigated these cases. WAR's findings on this year's sexual violence cases until July show that in the 42 cases investigated, 27 (64 per cent) survivors were children under 18 years.
The most vulnerable age group was said to be 5-11 years (36 per cent), followed by 12-17 years (29 per cent). The average age was 14 years in all cases investigated, with the minimum age of survivors being five years, reported The News International.
Thirty-eight (90 per cent) cases involved women and female children. In terms of the nature of the assault, 64 per cent of the cases were of rape, 18 per cent of gang rape, 12 per cent of incest and six per cent of sexual assault.
District West has been the red-alert zone, indicating the highest incidence of sexual violence at 47 per cent, followed by District East (21 per cent), District Korangi (14 per cent), the Malir and South districts (eight per cent each), and the Keamari and Central districts (one per cent each), reported The News International.
Notably, police negligence or delay is found to be the cause of the culprits succeeding in their brutal acts.
Since close relatives and neighbours are involved, they allegedly kill the victims to protect their identities and avoid being arrested.