Staff Reporter
Karachi witnessed an increasing trend in horrific rape incidents last year and 2020 saw a seven-year high of reported sexual abuse and rape cases against women and children.
According to a police surgeon report, there was a 36% increase in reported rapes in 2020.
That is to say, the actual number of rapes is much higher as not every rape is reported to the police.
Between 2013 and 2020, Karachi reported 2,955 reported rapes of women and children. In 2019, 407 rapes were reported. · In 2018, 411 rapes were reported. In 2017, 331 rapes were reported. In 2016, 260 rapes were reported. In 2015, 342 rapes were reported. In 2014, 324 rapes were reported.
But 2020 saw a 36% increase with 455 reported rapes. Much of the year was spent in lockdown as the government imposed partial and complete lockdowns in Karachi starting in March.
In October 2019, Karachi police chief Additional IG Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh admitted that police stations are not friendly towards women.
He stressed the need for awareness among survivors and making it common knowledge on how to reach out to the relevant authorities to report any crime.
“People are unaware of their own rights; women are unaware that they can stand up for themselves and not be punching bags for men.”
During the first two months of lockdown, KP reported 500 cases of domestic violence. Ayesha Bano, a member of KP provincial assembly, wrote a letter to the KP chief of police to provide protection to women and children.
Meanwhile, Some sexual assault cases in the country have led to calls for a national reckoning.
In 2015, Pakistan was rocked by accusations that at least 280 children under the age of 14 in villages in eastern Punjab Province had been subjected to sexual abuse by a gang of 15 men, who made videos to extort money from the children and their parents
