Nearly 2,000 child abuse cases reported in Pakistan

The report, based on cases published in national and regional newspapers, revealed that 1,015 children were victims of sexual abuse between January and

Pakistan recorded 1,914 reported cases of child abuse during the first six months of 2026, with child sexual abuse making up the largest share of incidents, according to a new report released by child rights organisation Sahil.

The report, based on cases published in national and regional newspapers, revealed that 1,015 children were victims of sexual abuse between January and June. It also documented 558 abductions, 101 missing children, 35 child marriages and 98 cases involving child pornography linked to sexual abuse. In addition, 49 newborn babies were found abandoned in different parts of the country during the reporting period.

Girls accounted for 58 percent of the reported victims, while children between the ages of 11 and 15 were identified as the most vulnerable group. The report also noted that children aged 16 to 18 and those between six and 10 years old were among the frequently affected age groups.

According to Sahil, many victims were abused by people they knew. Acquaintances were identified as the alleged perpetrators in 43 percent of the reported cases, while strangers accounted for 34 percent.

The findings further showed that nearly half of the abuse incidents occurred inside the victims’ homes, highlighting the hidden nature of child abuse. Other cases took place in the homes of the accused or at various public locations, while the location was not specified in several reports.

Urban areas recorded a higher number of reported incidents than rural regions. Punjab accounted for around 80 percent of all reported child abuse cases nationwide, followed by Sindh with 15 percent. The remaining cases were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The report also stated that police registered cases in 89 percent of the reported incidents. However, a small number of cases were either not reported to law enforcement or allegedly faced refusal in the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), while the registration status of some cases remained unknown.