‘I live in fear’: 1.5 million Pakistani children sexually exploited online
In Muslim-majority Pakistan, 71% of victims did not tell anyone because of stigma, shame and fear, according to a UNICEF report.
Islamabad - Pakistani teen Zara Shah recounts her harrowing experience of online sexual exploitation, one of an estimated 1.5 million children in Pakistan who fell victim to such abuse in the past year, according to a recent UNICEF report. The 17-year-old's story begins when she started chatting with a stranger during an online game, initially believing him to be a friendly acquaintance. However, the predator soon shifted his focus to obtaining explicit images from Zara, threatening to expose her family if she refused.
UNICEF's report reveals that the perpetrators, primarily aged between 12 and 17, were often known to their young victims. The abuse often starts innocently enough, with a casual conversation or gaming interaction, before escalating into more sinister requests for explicit content. Daniel Kardefelt, lead author of the global UNICEF report, explained that perpetrators may spend months building trust with their victims through seemingly harmless exchanges on social media platforms.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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