Kasur child sexual abuse scandal: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Kasur District.png|thumbnail|right|150px|Kasur District, Punjab]] |
[[File:Kasur District.png|thumbnail|right|150px|Kasur District, Punjab]] |
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The '''Kasur child sexual abuse scandal''' is a series of [[child sexual abuse]]s that occurred in Hussain Khanwala village in [[Kasur District]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]] from 2006 to 2014, culminating in a major [[political scandal]] in 2015. Various [[Media in Pakistan|Pakistani media organizations]] estimated that 280 to 300 male children were victims of sexual abuse, after the discovery of hundreds of [[video clips]] showing children performing [[Forced sex|forced sex acts]].<ref name="The Nation 1">{{cite news|last1=Javed|first1=Ashraf|title=Country's biggest child abuse scandal jolts Punjab|url=http://nation.com.pk/national/08-Aug-2015/country-s-biggest-child-abuse-scandal-jolts-punjab|accessdate=11 August 2015|work=The Nation|date=8 August 2015}}</ref> The scandal involved an [[organized crime]] ring that sold [[child pornographer|child pornography]] to [[porn sites]], and [[blackmailed]] and [[extorted]] relatives of the victims.<ref name=Tribune>{{cite news|title=Kasur child porn case: Amid nationwide outrage, PM vows to punish culprits|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/935123/kasur-child-porn-scandal-amid-nationwide-outrage-pm-vows-to-punish-culprits/|accessdate=11 August 2015|work=The Express Tribune|agency=PPI|date=10 August 2015}}</ref> |
The '''Kasur child sexual abuse scandal''' is a series of [[child sexual abuse]]s that occurred in Hussain Khanwala village in [[Kasur District]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]] from 2006 to 2014, culminating in a major [[political scandal]] in 2015. Various [[Media in Pakistan|Pakistani media organizations]] estimated that 280 to 300 mainly male children were victims of sexual abuse, after the discovery of hundreds of [[video clips]] showing children performing [[Forced sex|forced sex acts]].<ref name="The Nation 1">{{cite news|last1=Javed|first1=Ashraf|title=Country's biggest child abuse scandal jolts Punjab|url=http://nation.com.pk/national/08-Aug-2015/country-s-biggest-child-abuse-scandal-jolts-punjab|accessdate=11 August 2015|work=The Nation|date=8 August 2015}}</ref> The scandal involved an [[organized crime]] ring that sold [[child pornographer|child pornography]] to [[porn sites]], and [[blackmailed]] and [[extorted]] relatives of the victims.<ref name=Tribune>{{cite news|title=Kasur child porn case: Amid nationwide outrage, PM vows to punish culprits|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/935123/kasur-child-porn-scandal-amid-nationwide-outrage-pm-vows-to-punish-culprits/|accessdate=11 August 2015|work=The Express Tribune|agency=PPI|date=10 August 2015}}</ref> |
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The scandal caused nationwide outrage,<ref name=Tribune /> among allegations that the [[Punjab Police (Pakistan)|Punjab police]] and Malik Ahmed Saeed, Kasur's [[Member of the Provincial Assembly]] from the ruling [[Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)]], were involved in an attempted cover-up of the abuse.<ref>{{cite news|title=Out on streets: ‘Kasur DPO, RPO and lawmakers must be sacked’|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/935812/out-on-streets-kasur-dpo-rpo-and-lawmakers-must-be-sacked/|accessdate=11 August 2015|work=The Express Tribune|date=11 August 2015}}</ref> |
The scandal caused nationwide outrage,<ref name=Tribune /> among allegations that the [[Punjab Police (Pakistan)|Punjab police]] and Malik Ahmed Saeed, Kasur's [[Member of the Provincial Assembly]] from the ruling [[Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)]], were involved in an attempted cover-up of the abuse.<ref>{{cite news|title=Out on streets: ‘Kasur DPO, RPO and lawmakers must be sacked’|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/935812/out-on-streets-kasur-dpo-rpo-and-lawmakers-must-be-sacked/|accessdate=11 August 2015|work=The Express Tribune|date=11 August 2015}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 00:23, 20 August 2015
The Kasur child sexual abuse scandal is a series of child sexual abuses that occurred in Hussain Khanwala village in Kasur District, Punjab, Pakistan from 2006 to 2014, culminating in a major political scandal in 2015. Various Pakistani media organizations estimated that 280 to 300 mainly male children were victims of sexual abuse, after the discovery of hundreds of video clips showing children performing forced sex acts.[1] The scandal involved an organized crime ring that sold child pornography to porn sites, and blackmailed and extorted relatives of the victims.[2]
The scandal caused nationwide outrage,[2] among allegations that the Punjab police and Malik Ahmed Saeed, Kasur's Member of the Provincial Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), were involved in an attempted cover-up of the abuse.[3]
It is cited by both news agencies and government departments to be the largest child abuse scandal in Pakistan's history.[4] Besides large scale public condemnation, 50 Pakistani clergy and religious scholars issued a fatwa (religious decree) for capital punishment to culprits and demanded the government to console the victims and their parents [5]
Abuse
Press reports by Ashraf Javed, a staff reporter for The Nation, broke the news that a gang of 20 to 25 men had allegedly filmed up to 400 videos of child sexual abuse, involving at least 280 children belonging to Hussain Khanwala village in Kasur.[1] In one instance, the father of one of the victims had to pay PKR 1.2 million to save the honor of his child.[6]
Police involvement
Clash between police and protestors
On 8 August 2015, villagers from Hussain Khanwala and adjacent villages physically clashed with policemen in Dolaywala village along Deepalpur Road, after demonstrating against the police for failing to act on the abuse ring. Police cordoned off the roads leading to the village to stop the protesters. As a police contingent tried to halt the mob led by Mobeen Ahmed, the latter pelted stones and resorted to aerial firing. Police teargassed and baton charged the crowd, which then damaged official vehicles on Deepalpur Road. The clash left DSPs Hassan Farooq Ghumman and Arif Rasheed, Ganda Singh SHO Akmal Kausar, policemen Akbar, Sajid, Riaz, Naeem, Ahmed Ali, Akbar Ghani and Muhammad Akmal besides 15 protesters injured.[7]
Government reaction
Rana Sanaullah controversy
The Government of Punjab's initial statement came from Punjab Minister of Law Rana Sanaullah on 8 August 2015, who stated that a government inquiry committee concluded that no instance of child sex abuse had been reported. Sanaullah said that reports to this effect surfaced after two parties involved in a land dispute registered "fake cases" against each other.[8] Sanaullah's statement was widely criticized by the media and locals.
Chief Minister's reaction
On 9 August 2015, the Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif ordered the Punjab Home Department to request Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Manzoor Ahmed Malik to constitute a judicial inquiry to look into the matter.[9] The Chief Justice rejected the request, on the grounds that such an inquiry was constituted for fact-finding missions, and that the police had already begun making arrests in this instance.
See also
References
- ^ a b Javed, Ashraf (8 August 2015). "Country's biggest child abuse scandal jolts Punjab". The Nation. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Kasur child porn case: Amid nationwide outrage, PM vows to punish culprits". The Express Tribune. PPI. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Out on streets: 'Kasur DPO, RPO and lawmakers must be sacked'". The Express Tribune. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ The Express Tribune: Kasur child pornography ring: Lawyer accuses police of protecting culprits
- ^ "Ulema decree to 'hang' Kasur child molesters". ARY News. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
{{cite news}}:|first1=missing|last1=(help) - ^ "Growing child abuse scandal in Pakistani village". Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ Ansari, Afzal (8 August 2015). "Two DSPs among 25 injured as mob takes on police". Dawn. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Kasur child molestation scandal baseless, says inquiry report". Dawn. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Shahbaz promises judicial inquiry into Kasur incident". The News International. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.