Two children fall prey to sexual predators in as many days

Yet another case of child sexual abuse was reported in the city on Friday when an unidentified man raped a little girl and left her severely injured, a day after the body of a seven-year-old boy who had been raped and murdered was found in the bushes near his house in another part of the city.

According to SHO Javed Jalbani of Sukhan police, the victim’s mother came to the police station to file a complaint that an unknown man had raped her eight-year-old daughter in a house in Labour Square, Korangi, while she was at work.

In her statement, the mother said that her husband lives in Punjab while she works in a factory to support herself and her daughter. She added that she used to leave her child at the house of a woman who worked in the same factory and lived nearby. The children played together all day while the two women were at work.

The mother further said that on Friday when she returned home, she found her daughter crying in pain. The eight-year-old told her that she was playing with the other children when a stranger came into the house, took her to a room and raped her.

SHO Jalbani said that following the woman’s complaint, the victim was sent to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for examination and treatment.

He added that police would issue a final statement once the medico-legal examiner’s report is received. JPMC Executive Director Dr Seemin Jamali told The News that a female medico-legal examiner had examined the child and had confirmed in her initial report that she had been subjected to sexual assault.

Jamali said the MLO had suggested that surgery be performed on the victim since her wounds were severe. The child has been admitted to the children’s ward and a surgeon will examine her to further devise a treatment plan, the director said.

Growing violence

This is the second case of child rape reported from the city in just under two days. On Thursday evening, the body of seven-year-old boy who had been strangled after sexual assault was found in the bushes near his house in New Town. According to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Division SP Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, the victim’s father Abdus Sattar had informed them that he found the body of his missing son near National Sports Complex.

Bhutto said a police team reached the site and shifted the body to the JPMC for a post-mortem. The victim was identified as seven-year-old Shah, and according to his father Sattar, he had been missing since Thursday afternoon.

The deceased’s father told police that he started the search for Shah himself when his wife told him that he had not come home for lunch. By evening, he found his little son dead in the bushes near his house.

Bhutto said that a tennis court is being constructed at the sports complex. The builder had hired Abdus Sattar as a gatekeeper there and had also provided a makeshift housing arrangement for him where he was living with his family.

Sattar told the police that he had no enmities. Bhutto said they had started an investigation. Meanwhile, JPMC Additional Police Surgeon (APS) Dr Sheeraz Ahmed said that the victim’s body reached the mortuary for an autopsy but was referred to Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) due to the workload at JPMC.

CHK APS Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi told The News that a medico-legal officer performed the autopsy and confirmed in his report that the child had been subjected to rape before being strangled to death. He added the medico-legal examiner has preserved the samples obtained from Shah’s body for examination.

High-ups take notice

Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal has taken notice of both incidents and sought separate inquiry reports from the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) East. He also directed him to ensure that culprits behind both crimes be arrested. Inspector General of Police (IGP) AD Khowaja also took notice of both child rapes and sought separate reports from the SSPs of East and Malir districts.