Pakistan bishop condemns abuse of Christian girls

(December 29, 2010) Faisalabad Bishop Joseph Coutts has condemned the abuse of Christian girls after a nine year old Catholic girl was raped by a Muslim man recently. Gulfam, a nine year old Catholic girl, was raped by a Muslim man in Samundari Tehsil, in the district of Faisalabad, Fides reported. “The incident is terrifying. I met the victims and I expressed my regret to them,” said Bishop Coutts. “I believe we must consider a pastoral and legal strategy, in an effort to stem the phenomenon of the abuse of Christian girls,” he continued. Gulfam is 9 years old and is enrolled in the third grade. She lives in village number 226 in the district of Tehsil Samundari. A local man was arrested on rape charges. But the family is terrified because the village is mainly Muslim. The relatives of the alleged rapist have reportedly already tried to intimidate and threaten the family of Gulfam to withdraw the charges. The girl said the man had offered her money and at her refusal, he took her by force, taping over her mouth and raping her. He also told her not to worry because he had done the same thing to other young Christian girls. The local sources reported “It is shameful. Such incidents occur frequently. Christian girls are considered goods to be damaged at leisure. Abusing them is a right. According to the community’s mentality it is not even a crime. Muslims regard them as spoils of war.”