A disturbing report released by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) has revealed that a total of 7,608 cases of violence and sexual abuse against children were officially reported across Pakistan in 2024.
The data paints a grim picture of the state of child protection in the country, indicating that on average, 21 children faced some form of violence every day during the year.
The SSDO report, based on information obtained through the Right to Information Act, provides a detailed breakdown of these cases.
According to the findings, 2,954 incidents of sexual abuse, 2,437 cases of kidnapping, 683 cases of physical violence, and 586 cases of child trafficking were registered. Additionally, 895 cases of child labor and 53 incidents of child marriage were documented over the year.
Despite the volume of cases, the conviction rate across nearly all categories remained shockingly low, at less than 1 percent. In fact, not a single conviction was recorded in child marriage cases.
SSDO’s Executive Director, Kausar Abbas, emphasized that the figures only include officially reported cases and do not reflect the many incidents likely to have gone unreported.
The report further notes that while some marginal improvements were observed in reducing instances of child labour and trafficking, the overall situation remains deeply troubling.
A spokesperson for the organization expressed concern over the systemic failure to hold perpetrators accountable, adding that the lack of convictions not only emboldens abusers but also weakens public trust in the justice system.