A chilling new report has uncovered a terrifying wave of child sexual abuse sweeping across Pakistan — with nearly 2,000 children abused in just one year, and 950 cases of sexual assault reported in the first half of 2025 alone.
The Sahil NGO report reveals a deeply disturbing pattern: 605 children abducted, 192 gone missing, and 34 victims forced into underage marriages or “vani” deals — all in just six months.
Even more shocking, 62 newborns were discovered abandoned — some dead, some miraculously alive. The data shows girls made up 52% of all abuse victims, boys 44%, and newborns accounted for 3% of cases.
But the most horrifying detail? The 11–15 age group is the prime target. 658 children in this age range were assaulted, with Punjab alone accounting for 72% of the reported sexual abuse, and Sindh 22%. The remaining 6% of cases emerged from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad.
This abuse isn’t just happening in the shadows of rural Pakistan — 59% of the cases were from urban centers, proving that cities aren’t safe havens either. In nearly half of the cases (49%), the abuser was someone the child already knew — a relative, neighbor, or teacher. Strangers made up 20% of the accused.
Though 83% of victims did approach the police, 27 complaints went unregistered, and in at least one appalling instance, police outright refused to file the case.
Since 1996, Sahil has been working to protect children from abuse and offer psychological and legal support to victims. But with numbers like these, the crisis is growing faster than the safety net.
Pakistan’s children are in danger — and the silence is deafening.