Calls for tougher laws

This is "the largest child abuse scandal in Pakistan's history," the head of Punjab's Child Protection Bureau, Saba Sadiq, told AFP, referring to the recent accounts of sexual abuse and extortion in Pakistan's central Punjabi village of Husain Khan Wala, southwest of Lahore.

According to local media reports, at least 280 children were filmed being sexually abused by a pedophile gang of 25 men who blackmailed the minors' parents by threatening to leak the videos.

The children were reportedly also forced to perform sex acts on each other. The case has shocked the South Asian nation of 180 million people, with accounts of the abuse covering the front pages Pakistan's national newspapers.

In light of the shocking revelations, the central government in Islamabad has vowed to act decisively: "We will make sure those behind this heinous crime get exemplary punishment," PM Nawaz Sharif said on Monday.

At least seven men were arrested on Sunday, August 9, for allegedly abusing the children and selling the videos, while the province's chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif - the prime minister's younger brother - ordered an independent judicial probe.

But as judges begin to determine the extent of the crimes, the authorities have come under fire, with rights activists and several dozen families accusing the police of dragging their feet.

"The police are protecting the criminals, they are supporting them and have provided them an opportunity to escape the village," Latif Ahmed Sara, a lawyer and activist representing the victims, told reporters, adding that some of the videos date back to 2007.

'No tangible results'

Habiba Salman, a senior program officer at Sahil, an Islamabad-based NGO working against child abuse, told DW that this is no new issue in Pakistan as it has been happening for several years. "Vulnerable children are lured by perpetrators using various tactics such as by bribing them with sweets, and then they are then blackmailed," the activist said.

However, what makes the most recent case so particular is its scale, as it involves hundreds of children, she added. But while the latest scandal has drawn global attention to the problem, Salman fears that it may fade away in the coming days as with previous incidents.

"There have been many high-profile cases in the past. The cases received hype in the media, prompting politicians to announce measures to tackle the problem. But we have yet to see any tangible results," said Salman, citing the case of a 5-year-old girl sexually abused in the city of Lahore. Although the incident aroused widespread outrage, none of the perpetrators has been arrested so far, Salman pointed out.

'Urgent call to action'

Meanwhile, the Pakistani office of the UN children's agency, UNICEF, said it strongly condemned any kind of child exploitation and abuse, especially of sexual nature, adding that these "horrendous accounts" are an "urgent call to action."

UNICEF said the incidents highlight the need for the government to introduce much needed reforms and thus enhance the Pakistani public institutions' capacity to prevent, protect and respond to child protection concerns.

The UN agency also told DW that while some progress has been made by the authorities towards establishing a responsive public child protection system compliant with international covenants and minimum standards, efforts at different levels remained "disjointed and inadequate, especially, for the prevention of sexual abuse of children."

But how widespread is child sex abuse in the South Asian country? It is difficult to determine the exact number of child abuse cases, as Pakistan does not have an effective child protection monitoring information system in place, said UNICEF, adding that most data sources are "disjointed and incoherent."

However, Sahil's program officer Salman, whose organization collects data based on complaints lodged with the police, said that 3,508 cases of child sex abuse were filed with the authorities in 2014.

The figures, however, refer only to reported cases and activists fear the latest case in the Punjab is only the tip of the iceberg. "Given the conservative nature of Pakistani society, people do not really like to speak out about such cases," Salman explained.

Legislation required

Speaking about the repercussions of such actions, the rights activist pointed out that sexual abuse has long-lasting impact on the well-being of children, affecting not only their self-esteem and confidence, but also their future marital and family lives. Noting that none of the Pakistan's provinces has any law on child pornography, she called on the government to make specific laws to curb child sexual abuse.

In this regard, UNICEF also told DW that concerted efforts are required to bring the existing domestic laws in conformity with international standards. To this end, UNICEF urged all those involved to work towards ensuring better training in the justice system, and that the necessary funds and resources are provided to create a "cadre of child protection professionals."