Suspect in Muzaffargarh Aitkaf rape case arrested: child rights body
A man who allegedly raped a 13-year-old boy while he was in Aitkaf in Muzaffargarh has been arrested, the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) said on Thursday.
In a post on Facebook, the NCRC shared a report on the case and stated: “Taking cognisance of the case, NCRC followed up with the district police office Muzaffargarh and it has been informed that the culprit has been arrested.
The commission added it would “ensure that justice prevails and the perpetrator is held accountable”.
It was not immediately clear whether the Muzaffargarh DPO confirmed the arrest or another official.
NCRC Chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooque thanked the Punjab police for taking action. “We will do our best to ensure that justice prevails,” she said in a post on X.
The victim was observing Aitkaf at a mosque at Sanawan Bukhi Chowk when the man, who reports said was also on Aitkaf, allegedly raped him.
Initially, the suspect had managed his escape while the mosque imam said the former was threatening him with dire consequences. The boy had been shifted to a hospital for a medical examination. Station House Officer Shahid Rizwan Mahota had said the suspect would be arrested soon.
This incident comes on the heels of similar incidents in the country in recent weeks. Last month, Kot Addu Saddar police registered a rape case against a fake diploma-holder doctor who allegedly assaulted a nine-year-old girl at Taunsa Mor.
Days before that, a seminary teacher and his wife were arrested for repeated attempts to rape a minor girl student and for torturing her in Faisalabad’s Madina Town.
An annual report by Sahil, a non-profit organisation working for the welfare of children, showed that 11 children were abused every day in 2023, with mostly acquaintances and relatives involved in the heinous act.
The ‘Cruel Numbers 2023’ report showed that children were most vulnerable to abuse in the age group of six to 15 years old, in which more cases of boys than girls were reported. Children as young as zero to five years old were also sexually abused.
The abuser’s category indicated that acquaintances were still the most involved in child sexual abuse, along with relatives, family members, strangers and women abettors.
The report showed that out of the total reported cases, 91pc had been registered with the police, which was termed a “positive sign indicating an active role” of the police in addressing the issue.