Pak Catholics join hands in prayer while sexual violence against children continues
April 29, 2014: Sexual violence against girls continues in Punjab province, with
perpetrators still free amid government silence and police inaction. In view of the
situation, the Catholic Church of Pakistan yesterday organised torchlight processions
and prayers in many Pakistani churches to demand justice for the innocent victims
of sexual violence.
At the end of Sunday Mass, meditations and prayers were
performed for the young victims, especially for the speedy recovery of Sara - a gang
rape victim- and the release of Sawan Masih and Asia Bibi, who were sentenced to death
for blasphemy.
Originally from a village in Sialkot District, little Sara remains
in hospital in critical conditions, whilst her father is held illegally by police
to prevent the family from reporting the crime. Sara is not alone. In the past week,
two other underage girls were raped in Punjab: a nine-year-old girl raped and then
murdered in Jhang District, and a six-year-old girl raped (and left in critical conditions)
in Faisalabad yesterday afternoon.
Human rights activists and clergymen noted
that the situation has crossed a critical threshold with the authorities showing no
interest in protecting ordinary people. Citing a recent study by the human rights
groups Masihi Foundation and Life for All Pakistan, Fr John Ayub, a priest active
in the protection of minors in the Punjab, noted a rise in brutal attacks, which confirms
the escalation of violence. Hence, he wants the authorities to take these incidents
seriously and better protect citizens.
According to the study, with data from
2013, there were 370 cases of rape, including 185 cases of gang rape; 1,603 honour
killings; 2,133 cases of unspecified violence against women; 406 cases of forced marriages,
including 176 minors; 220 women killed following accusations of adultery and 887 cases
in which women were tortured by police.
Punjab is the province with the highest
number of cases (2602), followed by Sindh (1883), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (1181) and Baluchistan
(864). However, only a few cases of violence (just over 10 per cent) are ever reported
so the actual number far exceeds official figures. (Source: AsiaNews)