Key Takeaways
- 1,914 cases of child abuse reported across Pakistan from January to June.
- 80% of cases occurred in Punjab, with the rest distributed among Sindh and other provinces.
- Infants found abandoned by roadsides accounted for 2.6% of total cases.
In the first six months of 2026, a significant number of child abuse cases were reported across Pakistan, according to data compiled by Sahil, a child protection NGO.
The report highlighted that 1,914 cases of child abuse were registered in this period, with 58% of victims being girls. Among these, 49 infants were found abandoned on roadsides.
Various forms of abuse were reported, including 1,015 cases of sexual abuse, 558 cases of abduction, 101 missing children, and 35 child marriages. Additionally, 98 cases involved pornography following sexual abuse.
Children aged between 11 and 15 years faced the highest risk of abuse, with 598 victims in this age group. The youngest victim was just five days old, while 329 were within the 6-10 year range.
The report also revealed that 43% of abusers were acquaintances and 34% were strangers. Half of the incidents occurred at the victims' residences, with 18% taking place in the abusers' homes.
Urban areas witnessed more cases (57%) than rural ones (43%). Punjab province accounted for an overwhelming majority (80%) of reported cases, followed by Sindh (15%), and other provinces (5%).
Of the total cases, 89% were registered with the police. Seven cases were unregistered, while in one case, the police refused to register the incident.
The data underscored that children aged between 11 and 15 years are particularly vulnerable to abuse, highlighting a critical need for targeted interventions and support systems.
