The topic of child abuse is gradually transforming from a taboo to a matter of discussion especially after the Zainab Ansari case that created an uproar in the whole country. Consequently, there is an upsurge in the reporting of cases and recent important development in the form of Zainab Alert, Response, and Recovery Act (ZAARA) 2020, however, the transformation is at a much slower pace as compared to the gravity of this offence. This can be deduced from the fact that incidents which are being reported are much lower than the actual occurrences. According to a recent report by Sahil – the child protection advocacy group- there were 2,846 cases reported of child sexual abuse from across the country last year. This means that approximately eight children were subjected to abuse each day of 2019, with more than half being girls. Nevertheless, the report has been made mainly from the electronic and print media sources, therefore, only showing the small part of the bigger picture.
The reason behind the large number of incidents going unreported is the societal taboos linked with the crime. The thought that the crime will bring shame to the victim and his/her family prevents the reporting of such a heinous offence. The result is, many cases remain unreported, the perpetrators go scot-free, and the horrendous offence keeps on increasing.
Child sexual abuse affects not only the life of a child but of the whole society at large. However, such abuse inflicts the greatest harm to the psychological, emotional and physical development of an innocent child. Child abuse leaves indelible marks on its victims which often go unseen. But these searing marks create a suffocating internal environment for the victims that hinder their individual and social growth. World Health Organisation has established in one of its reports that child abuse is one of the biggest reasons for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals, making it difficult to impossible for the victim to adjust to normal settings without special help in this regard. The fear of stigmatization annexed with the abuse in our society creates problems for the victim instead of the offender as the cases are mostly not reported. The cases that go unreported are also a consequence of the apathy and inadequacy shown by the law enforcing bodies in such delicate matters. The pain with which a victim has gone through needs that the child is dealt with caution and care. The victim’s condition at that time demands special help and assistance to come out of his/her state of mind. However, in most of cases the opposite could be observed on the part of the police. The cases that are reported are handled like any other case and most of the time are even not taken seriously. Moreover, the FIR is not filed at a proper time resultantly the action is not taken swiftly. All these factors lead to the silence of the victims and their families. Thus, remorsefully the horrendous offence remains rampant in society.
The step was taken by the government in the form of formation Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act 2020 (ZARRA) is welcomed. It has created hopes for better countering of child abuse by the introduction of an integrated framework. It has many celebrating perspectives; the most vital one is the establishment ZARRA Agency headed by a Director-General appointed by the Prime Minister, the agency shall have many powers including powers to coordinate with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for issuance of alerts of an abducted child through SMSs, MMSs; with Pakistan Electronic Telecommunication Authority for tickers on TV and announcement on Radio stations etc. Along with this a nation-wide toll-free number 1099 shall be activated that can be used by any person of the country to report a missing child. Another important feature of the Act is that it has provided a swift mechanism of the reporting of a missing child. According to the Act, the missing child report shall be filed within two hours by the police and the concerned police station shall forward the information to the ZARRA Agency. The Act has put forth the punishment of the offender that shall be a minimum ten years and maximum life imprisonment with a fine of one million rupees. Hence, the Act is an important step towards the reporting and punishment of the heinous offence against innocent children. Nonetheless, this is not enough as the government needs to ensure proper implementation of the Act because without implementation a piece of legislation doesn’t remain of much value.
Furthermore, the menace of child abuse cannot only be tackled by the government; various segments of society need to play their due roles in this respect. The most important part in this context is of the family. The family plays a vital role in the upbringing of a child. It is required that a child be made aware of the right and wrong contacts and behaviors of the people around him/her by its own family. When the children are made aware proactively then they become prepared enough to deal with such situations and complain about them accordingly upon happening. The second important role that is played in the life of a child is of his/her educational institution. Schools need to make arrangements to make their students aware of such perils in a cautious yet empathetic way. Likewise, behavior of children must be observed by their members of family and teachers and any change must be discussed with them by creating a candid relation. Besides this, it is important that the print and electronic media and the civil society use their respective platforms to make people aware of the repercussions of the abuse and encourage them to report by deconstructing stigmas attached to it. Child abuse is a reality that haunts the child particularly and the society generally. The need of the hour is to accept it as a crime and curb this menace by all possible means through concerted efforts.
The writer is a Lawyer. She can be reached at [email protected]