ISLAMABAD: Based on figures disclosed in the report released by child protection NGO, Sahil, 1,914 child abuse cases in Pakistan during the first half of 2023. Notably, 49 out of these 1,914 cases related to infants discovered abandoned by the roadside in different parts of Pakistan.
Sahil registered 1,015 incidents of child sexual abuse, 558 cases of abductions, 101 reports of missing children, and 35 cases of child marriages between January and June 2026. Additionally, there were 98 cases of pornographic exploitation after sexual abuse against children reported during the same period.
Data collection for the Sahil report relied on figures from national as well as regional newspapers in all the four provinces, along with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB). Therefore, these statistics represent cases made public via print media, not an exhaustive nationwide survey of such abuse. Nevertheless, the Sahil report continues to be one of the most referenced databases for monitoring child abuse in Pakistan. In accordance with data obtained from the Punjab Social Protection Department, 58 percent of the total cases reported concerned girl children.
Upon conducting further analysis, it was found that children between the ages of 11 to 15 made up the largest percentage among vulnerable victims, numbering 598. A total of 356 victims fell into the age group of 16-18 years old. Moreover, 329 children belonged to the age group of 6-10 years old, while 95 victims were younger than five years old. Ages were unknown for 487 victims.
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According to the findings revealed in the report, children remain at risk from individuals in their social circles. In 43 percent of abuse incidents, the offender turned out to be someone known to the child, whereas in 34 percent of cases, the perpetrators were strangers. The results support a well-known phenomenon observed in child protection literature that children are more likely to be harmed by someone familiar than by a stranger.
Abusers have been found to be acquaintances of victims in 43 percent of incidents, whereas the offenders were found to be strangers in 34 percent of incidents. Child protection researchers have noted a similar trend in which children faced greater danger.
Almost half of the total number of reported cases – 45 percent – were carried out within the premises of the survivor's home, while 18 percent happened inside the house of the perpetrator. The remaining percentage includes 3 percent of attacks carried out in an open field, and 21 percent where locations were unspecified.
Child Abuse Cases in Pakistan: Urban Areas Report More Cases Than Rural Regions
Cases of violence against women were higher in urban areas at 57 percent versus rural areas at 43 percent. However, it is worth noting that this disparity could be attributed mainly to better reporting mechanisms in urban areas as opposed to actual higher prevalence rates in such locations.
Child abuse cases reported across Pakistan showed that as many as 80 percent cases took place in the largest province of Punjab. The next major hotspot was Sindh, accounting for 15 percent of the cases, whereas the rest of Pakistan made up the last 5 percent of reported cases.
Based on the information, it emerged that 89% of cases had been reported to the police, although there was no clarity regarding registration of the rest of the cases.
Additionally, it came to light that out of the total cases reported, seven cases did not get registered with the police. Moreover, one case witnessed outright rejection from the police during the process of reporting.