4,150 criminal cases related to children were registered in Punjab between January and June 2025.
RAWALPINDI:
The Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), a civil society organization, released its fact sheet on violence against children in Punjab for the first half of 2025, revealing that on average 23 cases of violence against children were reported every day across the province.
The fact sheet is based on district-level police data obtained through the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013.
According to the SSDO analysis, 4,150 child-related criminal cases were registered in Punjab between January and June 2025. Of these cases, 3,989 were contested, while 3,791 are still under trial.
Punjab’s reporting mechanisms have improved over the past year, leading to an increase in case registrations. The SSDO noted that conviction rates remain extremely low and require immediate attention.
Despite the volume and seriousness of the offenses, only 12 convictions were recorded during the six-month period.
Sexual abuse remains one of the most worrying categories with 717 cases registered, 658 contested and 581 still under trial. The category saw 12 acquittals and 8 withdrawals but no convictions.
Child begging was the most frequently reported offense, with 2,693 cases recorded across the province. Of these, 2,674 have been contested and 2,669 are still under trial, but none have resulted in a conviction.
Other forms of exploitation also pose serious threats. Child trafficking recorded 332 cases, resulting in 4 convictions, while 182 cases of child labor led to 8 convictions, the comparatively highest result among the categories, but still alarming in relation to the number of offenses.
At the same time, 87 cases of physical violence and 27 cases of kidnapping did not result in any convictions.
Child marriage continues to be seriously underreported, with only 12 cases recorded in the first six months of 2025 and no convictions or acquittals, reflecting the entrenched cultural and procedural barriers to reporting.
District-level data identifies Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Sialkot as major hotspots of child abuse, exploitation and trafficking. Lahore recorded the highest number of cases of sexual abuse, child begging and trafficking, while Nankana Sahib, Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin also showed high trafficking trends.
