Over 1,900 cases of child abuse reported in first half of the year: report
ISLAMABAD: In the first six months of the year, 1,914 cases of child abuse were reported across the country, child protection NGO Sahil said in its latest report. Among the reported cases, 49 involved infants who were found abandoned by the roadside. From January to June 2026, as many as 1,015 cases of child sexual abuse, 558 cases of abduction, 101 cases of missing children and 35 cases of child…
In the initial half of the year, a staggering 1,914 cases of child abuse were documented nationwide, according to a report released by child protection NGO Sahil. Among these cases, 49 involved infants discovered abandoned on the roadside. From January to June 2026, there were 1,015 instances of child sexual abuse, 558 cases of abduction, 101 instances of missing children, and 35 cases of child marriages reported. Additionally, 98 cases of pornography resulting from sexual abuse were recorded.
The report, compiled using data from various national and regional newspapers across all four provinces, including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), revealed that 58% of the victims were girls. Children aged 11-15 years were found to be the most susceptible to abuse, with 598 children falling into this age bracket, followed by 356 victims aged 16-18, 329 aged 6-10, and 95 victims aged zero to five. The ages of 487 victims were not disclosed.
The report also highlighted the risks children face when in the presence of known individuals. In 43% of the reported cases, the abusers were acquaintances, while in 34% of cases, the perpetrators were strangers. Approximately half (45%) of the abuse incidents occurred at the victims' residences, while 18% took place at the abusers' homes. A smaller percentage (3%) of cases occurred in open fields, and in 21% of instances, the location of the abuse was unspecified.
Urban areas saw a higher number of reported cases compared to rural areas, with 57% of incidents occurring in urban regions and 43% in rural areas. The majority of the cases, 80%, were reported in the most populous province of Punjab, followed by Sindh, where 15% of the reported cases took place. The remaining 5% of cases occurred in the rest of the country.
Out of the total reported cases, 89% were registered with the police, while the status of case registration for the remaining cases was not specified. Seven cases were "unregistered with the police," and one case involved the police refusing to register the incident.
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