Why Pakistan needs to understand the roots of sexual violence

The repeated reports of rape, gang rape and sexual abuse of women and children in Pakistan raise a question that goes beyond individual criminal cases: what conditions allow such violence to persist, and why have existing deterrents failed to prevent it?

Every reported case demands investigation and punishment in accordance with law. But a society seeking to reduce sexual violence also needs to understand the factors that produce, enable or conceal such crimes.

This is where the government could consider establishing an independent research commission comprising psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, criminologists, legal experts and specialists in child protection and gender-based violence.

The purpose of such a body would not be to excuse offenders or shift responsibility away from them. Rather, it would examine the wider environment in which sexual violence occurs, including family structures, social attitudes, exposure to violence, gender discrimination, substance abuse, access to victims, institutional weaknesses and the effectiveness of existing safeguards.

Pakistan already has evidence that the problem extends beyond the number of cases appearing in police records. The National Commission for Human Rights has noted that rape is significantly under-reported and has identified obstacles including delays in registering first information reports, weaknesses in investigations and limited progression of cases through prosecution and conviction.

These gaps matter because punishment after a crime cannot, by itself, provide a complete prevention strategy. A stronger response requires examining what happens before an assault: whether warning signs are recognised, whether children know how to report abuse, whether families respond appropriately to complaints, whether schools and institutions have effective safeguarding mechanisms and whether vulnerable people can reach authorities without fear.

The role of the justice system would remain central. Police must investigate complaints impartially, prosecutors must pursue cases effectively and courts must decide them according to evidence and law. But these functions need to be complemented by prevention and research.

The National Commission for Human Rights has itself intervened in cases involving alleged sexual assault of children and has highlighted concerns about investigation and institutional handling of such cases. Its mandate includes research and analysis of laws, policies and administrative practices relating to human rights.

A national research effort could therefore map patterns rather than merely count cases. Researchers could examine the age and circumstances of victims and accused persons, relationships between offenders and victims, locations where assaults occur, delays in reporting, patterns of repeat offending and the effectiveness of rehabilitation and monitoring mechanisms.

Such research should also protect victims from further harm. Survivors must not be reduced to statistics, and children involved in cases require particular safeguards concerning privacy, questioning and media coverage.

The objective should be clear: to move from reacting to each horrific case to understanding the conditions that repeatedly allow sexual violence to occur.

Pakistan needs both justice and prevention. A serious, independent and multidisciplinary examination of the problem could help determine where the failures lie and what interventions are actually effective.

Without understanding the roots of a problem, society risks treating each new case as an isolated tragedy rather than confronting the patterns behind it.