Karachi stats show 36pc spike in rape cases in 2020 – 7 years high

KARACHI – The number of rapes reported in Sindh Capital has been increasing and the last year saw a seven-year high of reported sexual abuse and rape cases against women and minors.

The police surgeon report revealed a 36% increase in reported rapes in the year 2020, the real number of rapes is much higher as most of the cases are not reported.

From 2013 and 2020, Karachi reported 2,955 reported rapes of women and children.

407 rapes were reported in 2019, 411 rapes were reported in 2018 and 331 rapes were reported in 2017.

Data from 2016 shows 260 rapes, 342 in 2015, and 324 rapes were reported in 2014.

As the year 2020 was considered a disaster in decades similarly it also saw a 36 percent increase with 455 reported rapes.

During the first two months of lockdown, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also reported 500 cases of domestic violence on which member of the KP provincial assembly, wrote a letter to the KP police chief to provide protection to women and children.

On the other hand, Pakistan has approved the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020, which aims to punish sex offenders.

As per the ordinance, special courts will be set up across the country to expedite the trial of rape cases on a priority basis and will dispose off the rape cases within four months.