200 child sexual abuse cases reported in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Atleast 200 incidents of child sexual abuse were registered in Islamabad between January 2021 and June 2025, according to data released by the Interior Ministry.

In a written reply to Senator Shahadat Awan, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed the Senate that overall 567 rape cases were reported in the federal capital during this period, with 625 accused arrested.

Out of these, 485 cases were challaned, 80 resulted in convictions, 23 in acquittals, while trials of 406 cases are still pending.

The data showed that among the 200 child abuse cases, 93 victims were boys while 108 were girls. Police arrested 222 suspects, but only 12 have been convicted so far. Fifteen were acquitted, 163 remain under trial, and 26 suspects are still at large.

According to zone-wise breakdown obtained from Islamabad police, the Saddar Zone reported the highest number of cases with 61 incidents, followed by the Rural Zone with 63 cases, and the Soan Zone with 38 cases. The City Zone recorded 17 cases, while I-Area Zone registered 21 cases.

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The year-wise figures reveal a disturbing trend. In 2022 alone, 70 cases of child abuse were registered across different zones, the highest in the four-year period. This was followed by 52 cases in 2023, 60 cases in 2024, and 18 cases up to June 2025.

Despite arrests, conviction rates remain alarmingly low. For instance, in Saddar Zone, out of 61 registered cases, only nine accused were convicted. Similarly, in Rural Zone, three convictions were recorded in 63 cases, while in Soan and City Zones, not a single conviction was reported during the period.