In a landmark judgment, a man in Lahore has been sentenced to a 29-year jail term for the heinous crime of raping a minor girl by a special court for gender-based violence Rightly hailed as a significant step towards justice for the victim and a powerful deterrent for potential offenders, this verdict might finally be the gush of fresh air, Pakistani women have been tirelessly waiting for. However, the pounding gavel is not just the only extraordinary development in this incident. As of now, the entire onus of the investigation lies on the shoulders of the rapist who lured a 10-year-old girl to his house under false pretences and subjected her to a horrific sexual assault. There’s no media frenzy and the young victim’s identity remains confidential. The celebrations would, of course, remain incomplete without acknowledging the courage shown by the victim as she reported the crime to her family, which, in turn, approached the law enforcement authorities for their due justice. Living in a society that insists on treating gender-based violence as a shortcoming of the victim and whose men, sitting in powerful positions, do not mince words as they defend their brethren as “not robots,” this sentence sends a strong message that at least the judiciary would not tolerate these heart-wrenching crimes, and those who commit such atrocities would have to face severe consequences. A symbolic victory for the victim and all survivors of sexual violence should serve as a beacon of hope for those who have been silenced by fear and stigma; encouraging them to speak out and seek justice. By holding the perpetrator accountable, the court has validated the victim’s pain and trauma, affirming that their voice matters and their suffering will not be ignored. Let us celebrate this decision as a triumph of justice and a step towards creating a safer and more just society for all while acknowledging that a lot, lot more still needs to be done. For decades, the state and society have denied its women, its children and its vulnerable the freedom to move around and breathe in free air. It can only be hoped that new sensibilities would force the tenacious fabric to give up its archaic, misogynistic viewpoint, evolve with time and call rape what it is: a disgusting crime that leaves its survivors with perpetually festering wounds. *