Daily Times

Teen years are perhaps the best and most carefree time of our lives. We tend to stick to the memories of our teenage lives, which include our friends, favourite places and everything else that reminds us of our teen years. But sadly, not everyone is fortunate to have had a period of teenage like that. For them, teenage remain a time of abuse, a time that should be erased from the memory, and a time that should not have occurred at all.

The teenage of more than 280 children and teenagers of the village Hussain Kabirwala of District Kasur was ruined by a shameless gang of people, including teenagers. Their lives remain a cruel reminder of the vulnerability of our children to abusers. It was during 2015 that this mega scandal was unearthed for the first time. Most of the children and teenagers less than 14 years of age were sexually abused and filmed, and their parents were blackmailed. Millions of rupees were extorted from children and their parents. All of this did not happen all of a sudden, but continued for years until someone gathered the courage to break the silence. Most of the gang members were arrested, but nothing much could be done due to their linkages with police and high-ups in the local and provincial government. However, the worst part was that the law dealing with such cases remained toothless, and it did not allow a strict punishment for those who were involved in inhumanity against children.

However, a welcome revelation came during the month of March this year when laws criminalising child pornography, exposure to seduction and trafficking were passed. New sections were added in the penal code after section 292. Addition of sections 292-A: exposure to seduction, 292-B: child pornography, 292-C: punishment for child pornography and 328-A: cruelty to a child. These additions in the penal code of Pakistan were welcomed by civil society activists, politicians and citizens in general.

The absence of laws allowed child abusers to walk free or receive a negligible punishment for their wrongdoings, something that happened in Kasur. However, now these newly passed laws provide some hope for children, teenagers and their parents that remain vulnerable to filthy designs of mafias of child abusers.

The newly added sections under the section 292 deal with the issue of child pornography in a comprehensive manner, and I must say that the use of language is particularly commendable. For instance, the section 292-A includes every possible material that can be used to seduce a child including “obscene and sexually explicit material, document, a film, video or a computer generated image or attempts to do the aforementioned act.” Similarly, the section 292-B is also quite comprehensive in detailing various types of child pornography including “photograph, film, video, picture or representation, portrait, or computer generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of obscene or sexually explicit conduct.”

Similarly, section 292-C details the punishment for involvement in such acts.

The section 328-A: this deals with cruelty to a child, or ill-treatment meted out to children. It describes “whoever wilfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects, abandons or does an act of omission or commission that results in or has, potential to harm or injure the child by causing physical or psychological injury…” This law is also an excellent addition to the penal code as it tries to fill the gap that had been left due to the absence of laws for the protection of children. It tightens the noose around the neck of such people who employ children as their servants and subject them to abuse of all sorts. It raises alarm bells for such parents that wilfully neglect or ill-treat their children. Although our society is very different from most western societies and respect for parents is considered as one of the most important attributes of good upbringing, yet the addition of such laws will try to reduce the incidence of abuse that is sometimes meted out to children by their parents, relatives or others.

Child abuse either in physical or psychological means is considered as one of the worst crimes in western societies, and that is why laws and punishments dealing with cases are very stringent. It is a welcome development that such laws have been included in the penal code of Pakistan. However, something that is more important than passing laws is their implementation and the will of society and its people to end such abuse at every level, so that every child can enjoy and have their childhood as the best time of their lives.

The writer is a development consultant. She tweets at @GulminaBilal and can be reached at coordinator@individualland.com