Sexual abuse and suicides

The number of sexual assault cases against women and minor children have been rising across the country. Those cases which were earlier only confined to the police stations and courts are now increasingly being highlighted by the media.

There is a dangerous trend as many of the victims who have no respite from constant sexual abuse or are unable to receive are committing suicides. In Tharparkar, the most impoverished region in the country, five young girls have committed suicide in the past eight days due to sexual abuse. The suicide case of a girl named Moomal, aged 16, took a new turn when it was revealed that she was being raped, filmed and blackmailed for the past one year and eventually took her life to escape further harassment.

In Bahawalpur, an eighteen-year-old girl committed suicide after she was gang-raped in front of her family. A case was registered but the family was being pressured to drop the case. She left a note saying she was taking the extreme step so that parents can live the rest of their lives with dignity. The situation has done to an extent that victims are now committing suicides rather than a life of humiliation.

It is a matter of great concern that our judicial system has failed to provide justice to these women. The attitude of the police officers such as the CCPO Lahore and slow-paced justice system are some of the reasons why there is no respite. The state has failed to safeguard the lives and dignity of young girls and women and provide them swift justice.

Rather than arresting the culprits and giving them an exemplary punishment, the government is now attempting to stop the media coverage of such cases. The police have failed to catch the main suspect in the horrific Lahore motorway gang-rape case. In order to escape further embarrassment, PEMRA has banned the coverage of the case. This is not just a blatant attack on press freedom but also a disappointing attempt to hide its own inefficiency.

It is the responsibility of the government to protect the lives and properties of all citizens. Rather than patronizing corrupt police officers and muzzling press coverage, the government should take steps to provide speedy justice to the victims before they are compelled to take any extreme measures.