Only 12 Convicted in 200 Child Abuse Cases in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: At least 200 cases of child sexual abuse were registered in Islamabad between January 2021 and June 2025, according to official data shared by the Interior Ministry.

In a written reply to Senator Shahadat Awan, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed the Senate that during the same period, a total of 567 rape cases were reported in the federal capital, and 625 suspects were arrested.

Out of those cases, 485 were challenged (sent to trial), but only 80 led to convictions, and 23 ended in acquittals. The remaining 406 cases are still under trial.

Focusing on child abuse, the data shows that 93 victims were boys and 108 were girls. Police arrested 222 suspects in these cases, but only 12 have been convicted so far. Fifteen suspects were acquitted, 163 are still facing trial, and 26 suspects remain at large.

The data also provided a zone-wise breakdown from Islamabad Police. The Saddar Zone recorded the highest number of child abuse cases with 61 incidents, followed by the Rural Zone with 63, and Soan Zone with 38 cases. The City Zone reported 17 cases, while the I-Area Zone recorded 21 cases.

Year-wise, the numbers show a disturbing trend:

• 2022 had the highest number of child abuse cases: 70

• 2023 recorded 52 cases

• 2024 saw 60 cases

• 2025 (up to June): 18 cases

Despite many arrests, conviction rates remain extremely low. For example, in the Saddar Zone, only 9 people were convicted out of 61 cases. In the Rural Zone, just 3 convictions came from 63 cases. No convictions were reported in the Soan and City Zones during this period.

These numbers highlight a serious issue with prosecution and justice delivery in child abuse cases. While police have made hundreds of arrests, the low conviction rates and long trials raise concerns about the effectiveness of the legal system in protecting children and punishing offenders.