File Photo. Cristina Quicler—AFP
The National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) on Monday wrote to Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, seeking the convening of a high-level meeting to address the recent surge in reported cases of child sexual abuse in madrassas and evolve a strategy to curb such incidents.
Over the past month, there have several reported incidents of child sexual abuse in madrassas, including one case in Faisalabad’s Tandlianwala; another in Muzaffargarh; and the most recent one in Jhelum, where a madrassa teacher is accused of sexually assaulting multiple students.
Expressing concerns over this surge in reported cases of child sexual abuse within madrassas, the NCRC stressed that this “alarming trend” requires immediate attention and concerted efforts from all stakeholders to protect the rights and well-being of children.
“In light of the urgency of the situation, we request the Ministry of Human Rights to convene a high-level meeting among key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony,” it said. The objective of this meeting, it continued, would be to assess the “current state of child protection measures within madrassas and identify gaps and deficiencies in existing policies and procedures,” it added.
The letter hoped the meeting would lead to “learning and applying lessons learnt and best practices used in the past and develop a comprehensive strategy for preventing and addressing incidents of child sexual abuse in madrassas, with a focus on enhancing accountability and ensuring swift and effective response mechanisms.”
Noting that by bringing together all stakeholders and collective expertise and resources would enable the developing of “actionable solutions” to prevent child sexual abuse, the NCRC sought the federal minister’s “prompt attention” on the matter.
The most recent surge of reported cases in madrassas has drawn widespread condemnation from the public, with calls for the strictest punishment for the accused if they are found guilty. It has also raised questions over the practice of suspects securing “forgiveness” from the parents of victims, with demands rising for the state to prosecute such culprits to prevent victims from being pressured to withdraw cases.
The NCRC is a fully independent statutory body that works to promote, protect and fulfill children’s rights in Pakistan. It has the mandate to examine and review policies, laws, practices, and proposals, and inquire into violations of child rights, conduct research, raise awareness, build capacities, provide technical support and advise the government on legislative and policy matters.