Tag: child abuse

  • Child pornographer released on bail

    Child pornographer released on bail

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has released a man, arrested for selling child pornography to an international child pornography ring, on bail.

    According to reports, a judicial magistrate on April 26, 2018, had awarded seven-years imprisonment to Saadat Amin of Sargodha under Section 22 of Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016 and imposed a fine of Rs1.2 million on him.

    Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime cell had arrested Amin on the complaint of the Norwegian embassy during 2017.

    Saadat was an active member of an international group, operating online from Pakistan. He used to engage children between the age of 10-12 years and transmit their pornographic pictures/videos outside the country for monetary benefits. 650,000 pictures and video related to child pornography were reportedly recovered from the convict’s possession.

    In an appeal before the high court, the Sadaat’s lawyer Rana Nadeem Ahmad argued that the investigation held by the agency was faulty as it failed to arrest or investigate the alleged foreign agent in Norway. Besides, the appellant had been languishing behind the bars since his arrest in 2017, while his main appeal against the sentence had not been decided by the high court.

    He asked the court to suspend the sentence and release the appellant on bail as he was ready to furnish surety bonds. Justice Farooq Haider suspended the sentence and released the convict on bail against bonds of Rs200,000.

  • Major win for Shehzad Roy as court bans corporal punishment for kids

    Major win for Shehzad Roy as court bans corporal punishment for kids

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday suspended Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and banned the practice of corporal (physical) punishment by parents, guardians and teachers on children.

    The decision was announced after singer-activist Shehzad Roy filed a petition in court to ban the use of violence to discipline children. A division bench of the IHC presided by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, suspended the PPC section until further notice.

    Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 (No XLV) allows parents, teachers and other guardians to use moderate and reasonable corporal punishment as a means to correct the behaviour of children below 12 years of age.

    In his petition, Roy claimed that Section 89 is contradictory to the Constitution as it violates basic human rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    “Punishing children is being considered as essential for improving learning. News of torture and punishment of children have been reported every day in the media” read the petition.

    Justice Minallah, during the hearing, remarked that the country’s parliament had adopted a bill barring corporal punishment for children in 2013. The bill was not passed into law due to a technicality.

    Roy’s lawyer maintained that his client wanted the High Court to prevent violence against children until relevant legislation is passed.

    “Corporal punishment affects a child’s mental and physical health,” he asserted.

    After hearing the arguments, Justice Minallah directed the interior ministry to take immediate steps to protect the rights of children and asked for a reply from the federal government on the matter by March 5.

    Roy took to Twitter to express his gratitude over the IHC decision.

    Earlier, while speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court, Roy had said, “When a child is born, parents hit him, when he goes to school, teachers hit him, when he grows older and goes out in the society, police hits him to make him a better person. Research shows that the use of violence only increases violence.”

    Journalists, actors and members of the civil society lauded Roy for his initiative and hailed the court’s decision.

  • Five-year-old raped inside US Embassy compound in Delhi

    Five-year-old raped inside US Embassy compound in Delhi

    A man has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl in the grounds of the United States (US) Embassy in New Delhi, CNN quoted police sources as saying.

    According to reports, the girl was playing outside the embassy’s staff quarters before she “was lured and raped by a neighbour”. Reports quoted Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner Eish Singhal as saying that the girl, who is the daughter of a housekeeper employed by the embassy, later identified the 25-year-old male suspect, who has been arrested and charged with rape.

    “She was able to identify him point blank and there is no doubt over this,” Singhal said, adding that the suspect remains in custody.

    The incident has appalled embassy staff. In a statement to CNN, a US Embassy spokesperson said they were deeply disturbed by the alleged misconduct. “We promptly took action when we were informed of the allegation, and brought this matter to the attention of the police. Of course, we are cooperating fully with them,” the spokesperson said.

    An investigation has been launched, and a court date is yet to be set. In the wake of the brutal 2012 Delhi gang rape — which brought worldwide condemnation and still haunts the collective memory of women in India’s capital –, lawmakers passed a series of amendments to the existing rape laws.

    The amended law lengthened prison terms and introduced the death penalty in cases in which the victim is younger than 12 years of age.

  • Mahira Khan wants more swift action against child rapists

    Mahira Khan wants more swift action against child rapists

    The brutal rape and torture of a 10-year-old student by a Madrassa teacher in Abbottabad’s Mansehra sparked national outrage.

    One of Pakistan’s most vocal actors, Mahira Khan took to Twitter to voice her concern and demanded the authorities to “make an example out of these monsters.” In her tweet, she also tagged the Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari.

    In response to her tweet, the minister said that the perpetrator has been arrested and that efforts are being made to prevent these horrendous crimes. She shared that the Zainab Alert Bill has been passed by the Standing Committee of Human Rights and that “much as we would like to simply catch these monsters and publicly punish them, the government has to go according to the law.”

    She also revealed that a “holistic policy on child abuse” is being prepared on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan and “within two weeks it should be ready with all stakeholders being taken on board.”

    Mahira thanked the minister for her response and requested for more swift action to be taken again such issues. She also asserted that more noise should be made so that “a loud and clear message should go out to these predators.”

    Other than Mahira, actor-activist Nadia Jamil has also been raising her voice on the matter of child sexual abuse.

  • Kasur police want to educate children to curb child abuse

    Kasur police want to educate children to curb child abuse

    The Kasur DPO wants to educate children about the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touches to curb rising cases of child abuse.

    The police is holding lectures at schools to educate children about their rights. The police have also recovered 80 missing children. Community Liaison officers have appointed to arrange lectures on child rights.

    A sermon has been shared with all mosques so that they can share it with people on Friday prayer. Moreover, cases are being heard at an open court at the DPO office every day. A tent has been set up for the purpose too.

    The police have started profiling the entire district. A list of all sexual offenders has been prepared and the police have even identified places where bodies were dumped. Efforts are being made to ensure regular inspections of police stations and their performance. According to the police, the percentage of complaint redressal has risen to 78% from 19% since the new DPO took charge.

  • Mobile application launched in KP to recover missing children

    Mobile application launched in KP to recover missing children

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has introduced a smartphone application, “Mera Bacha Alert” to help citizens and concerned departments in the recovery of missing children in the province.

    According to reports, the launch event of the application took place at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat where CM Mahmood appreciated the efforts of the Performance Management and Reforms Unit of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that the app would not only help in recovering the missing children but would also discourage dreadful incidents regarding innocent children in the province.

    The mobile app is available in the KP citizen’s portal and soon will be added to the Pakistan citizen’s portal.

    This application will allow parents to register a report if their child goes missing. They will be able to upload a picture along with the necessary attributes.

    The application will auto-generate alerts and SMS
    will be sent to the District Police Officer (DPO), Regional Police Officer
    (RPO), Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the chief secretary.

    Moreover, the details including registration of FIR,
    starting of investigation, dispatching of the team, evidence collection and
    completion of investigation would also be added to the dashboard of District
    Police Officer (DPO)

    This application will also help in developing a
    directory of all the cases of missing children at the provincial level and can
    be monitored by the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary as well.

  • PM Imran Khan proposes death penalty as law for raping kids

    PM Imran Khan proposes death penalty as law for raping kids

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has proposed that death penalty be fixed for all those involved in child sexual abuse cases, a private media outlet quoted PM’s Special Adviser on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan as saying.

    She said that the premier, during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, expressed concern over the rise in misuse of internet for child pornography and subsequent increase in incidents of child sexual abuse.

    “He [PM Imran] addressed the ministries of human rights, law and interior in detail and gave them the responsibility of analysing the existing juvenile laws regarding sexual exploitation, rape of children and other violent behaviours,” she said.

    Awan added that all three ministries have been instructed to prepare an implementation plan and bring it before the cabinet so that the growing menace can be curbed with an effective law besides a mechanism of deterrence and awareness.

    CHILD ABUSE IN PAKISTAN:

    A recent minor rape and murder case is of 10-year-old Farishta, who was abducted from Islamabad earlier this month. The culprits are still at large, while at least two police officials have been arrested for negligence on PM Imran’s orders.

    According to a report released by NGO Sahil last month, cases of child abuse increased by 11 per cent in 2018 as compared to 2017, with more than 10 children suffering from some form of abuse every day in Pakistan.

    Last year had begun with the horrific rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari, sparking widespread outrage and protests across the country after the minor’s body was found in a trash heap in Kasur on January 9.

    ‘#JusticeforZainab’ became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children and Imran Ali, who was convicted for the rape and murder, was executed nine months after the child’s death.