Girl raped in the flood disaster

02-09-2022

Yiqing Chen

Pakistan and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

Although the flood disaster in Pakistan is very serious now, sexual violence against women, especially against underage girls, has not disappeared. On 2 September, it is reported by the official that a young girl in the flood-hit Shahdadpur was allegedly tortured and raped by two men who “kidnapped” her on the pretext of giving her ration (DAWN, 2022).

The area police said that they had detained one of the two suspects after the victim’s family came up with the complaint against them. The official quoted the girl's family that the suspects promised her to give her ration and relief goods provided by the government and welfare organizations for the flood victims (DAWN, 2022). But they took her to their hideout where they kept the girl for two days and raped her. Meanwhile, the Sindh Minister for Women Development Syeda Shehla Raza took notice of the incident. She assured of providing legal support to the victim and her family (DAWN, 2022).

Sexual violence against women has long been widespread in Pakistan. Although Pakistan's Penal Code has a strong punishment for rape, it only stays on paper and has not been implemented in actual law enforcement.

Sources and further reading:

DAWN. (2022, September 2). Flood-hit girl tortured, raped in Sindh’s Shahdadpur. DAWN.COM.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1703747/as-rain-wreaks-havoc-in-balochistan-residents-cries-fall-on-deaf-ears