“I went to the police station to file a complaint, but instead of registering a report, they took my son into custody,” said mother Shakila Bibi. The 15-year-old is still in jail, she added. If an inquiry found inadequate police work or complicity, the scandal could immerse the provincial government, headed by the prime minister's brother. District police officer Rai Babar said the force would act decisively. “I assure you that we are taking this very seriously and there will be a fair and very transparent investigation,” he said.
Villagers have accused the police of not taking their complaints seriously and claim hundreds of children are affected. Activist Mobeen Ghaznavi says many children were abused and he had 130 video clips containing abuse as proof. “People are afraid. They are being threatened and intimidated,” he said. Suraiya Bibi said that when she complained to police, her family was threatened by the abusers. “One day some women in the village showed me these videos. My son was in them. My world collapsed,” she said.
“Kids were being intimidated in these videos with weapons, they were drugged. Kids as young as five year olds were made to perform oral sex.”
“It's a very murky situation,” said Babar, adding that seven cases involving 11 children had been registered.
Recalling his abuse, an 18 year old said he had been abused since he was 10, and stole cash and jewellery from his family after his abusers blackmailed him. “I was going to school one day when these boys picked me up and beat me up badly. Then they drugged me, and when I woke up, they showed me these videos they had made of me,” he said. “They told me that they would bury me alive if I told anyone.”
Sharif has offered consolation in a statement saying “ Prime Minister ... has expressed extreme sadness ... the culprits will be given the harshest possible punishment.”
