Bhakkar Goth stunned after seven-year-old girl’s rape | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Bhakkar Goth stunned after seven-year-old girl’s rape

Rabia Ali

Karachi: A week ago, when cases of child abuse were unheard of in the remote Bhakkar Goth, people carried on with their daily routines and parents would leave their children alone at home while they were out working.

But following the horrifying incident in which seven-year-old *S was brutally raped by her landlord’s sixteen-year-old son while the girl and her younger brother were home alone; parents do not dare let their children out of their sight.

“May God protect every girl and her family from such beasts,” prayed S’s father with tears in his eyes. “I would often read stories about young girls being raped in the newspaper, but to have it happen to my own daughter is devastating. My little girl is suffering a lot of pain.”

It was hot afternoon on April 7 when S was home alone taking care of her younger brother, while her parents were out working in order to earn a living and provide their children with a decent meal at the end of the day. The bolted door of the house provided the parents with a sense of security and they believed it would be enough to ensure the safety of their children, especially since cases of child abuse were unheard of in this particular area.

However, these parents were unaware of the evil intentions sixteen-year-old Kumrun had towards their daughter. While the two youngsters were at home, the landlord’s son scaled the wall, gained entry to the house and raped the seven-year-old girl, leaving her mentally and physically traumatised.

Currently admitted to a children’s ward at a government hospital, S, unlike her bright clothes, looks pale. While the child may have been stunned into silence, her pain-stricken face speaks volumes about the pain she is suffering.

“She refuses to go to the bathroom unaccompanied and trembles at the sight of a man. In addition to this, she bleeds regularly,” said her shattered mother. But the child’s father vowed to fight on and said he would not compromise with the accused party under any circumstances.

“We were their tenants for ten years and we gave them out trust. In return, they destroyed our family. Our landlords have urged us to accept money as compensation and told us to withdraw the case, but we intend to do no such thing.” He also accused the police of failing to take action against the influential family of the accused, adding that authorities had not taken any steps in this case, despite the fact that the FIR (220/2011) was registered five days ago under Section 375, which is rape.

But Inspector Jahangir Bhutto of Sachal Goth said that since he himself was a father, he could “feel the pain” of the aggrieved family. “We have conducted raids, but the boy had run away by then. We are doing our level best to locate him.”

Speaking about child abuse, War Against Rape (WAR) representative Rukhsana Siddique said young girls were the most vulnerable and most at risk.

“In many of the cases, the rapists are either teenagers or young adults. One of the reasons for this is that some of smaller cinemas in a number of localities are screening obscene movies. Such films are corrupting the minds of our youth.”

She added that S’s was the fifth case that WAR had received since the beginning of this year.

Source: The News

Date:4/14/2011