He forcedly took me to the field and rapped me said Lacho Koolhe. Seven years old Lacho is a resident of Rajoo Khanani in Sindh Pakistan. She was reportedly rapped by Soomar Koolhe in village Jameel Kamboh on Tuesday Jan 8, 2008. It is reported that she was immediately taken to Talhar Hospital where her preliminary medical examination was done. Dr. Suraiya Khawaja who was on duty in Talhar hospital confirmed that according to initial reports she was raped and the samples are sent for further analysis. It is further told that she was taken to Hyderabad Civil Hospital for treatment in emergency since she was bleeding profusely due to trauma. Meanwhile, police arrested Soomar Koolhe who allegedly raped the child. Soomar latter confessed this heinous crime and told the media that he trapped the victim by offering PKR 50 (less than $ 1). According to villagers, Soomar is known for such criminal activities in past too.

The story took a dramatic turn when media reported on Thursday Jan 9, 2008 that Lacho and her parents are missing after they left for Hyderabad in order to get the victim treated. The media reports helped in unveiling the where abouts of Lacho and her family. Lacho’s father Ajoo Koolhe told media that they were kept hidden in Hyderabad civil hospital. Ajoo further added that the treatment provided in hospital was conditional since the hospital management asked them not to speak and meet anyone specially media but when the news about their missing status was flashed in media, the hospital management was forced to release them. Lacho’s father thinks that the credibility of forensic report that will get released by the same hospital about the victim is questionable because they suspect some arrangement between hospital and the abuser.

According to Lacho’s family, the victim is O.K but due to loss of blood she is feeling weak and lethargic. It is declared by the family that they were not treated well in hospital and they suspect the Civil Hospital Hyderabad is trying to cover this incident in favor of abuser but they are not willing to let it go this way because for them, their child lost her future and everything. Apart from this, it appeared in media that Soomar’s father Tilloo Koolhe went to the victim’s family asking them not to nominate his name in report to police. Tilloo Koolhe has taken the stance that his son has committed the crime so he should be punished. To me his father is right that he has not done anything directly and should not be nominated in report but indirectly, he is also responsible since his son is an outcome of his good or bad training.

Having followed this news story for three days in regional dailies here in Sindh, few questions are disturbing me a lot to who is responsible for this crime, Soomar or some one else? What will happen of victim? This trauma, both physical and psychological, caused by sexual abuse is of worst type, do we have rehabilitation facilities in our country? If we do have rehabilitation facilities, will this victim be able to access them? Do we have some program to educate the people about child sexual abuse? If not, what can be done? How long talking about such issues will stay taboo? How many other such poor souls are suffering, what can be done in this regards? Why people are indifferent to react to such incidence? How to bring this issue in mainstream? Why such issues are not taken up as high profile cases? The questions do not end here, the list is long and we are helpless. In order to understand the reality, we need to look at the last and the most important question and it asks, “Will we ever be able to get answers to our questions?”

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This is not the only story; one can find many such characters who are suffering silently and facing every day of their life with a traumatizing experience. Other such incidence was of another lady who used to visit her professor and she got trapped some way. Now he is not ready to marry her and according to her, she is no more than a tool in hands of this organized mafia who has specialized in trade of trapping the innocent females with expert techniques. Though they are getting money for what they use to do but money is not something they wanted. They were in search of love and were trapped instead.

This list does not end here; there are numerous others who have got their tales of suffering to tell but they are voiceless. These stories of innocence and anguish use to bury with them in their graves and they have accepted it that way. In a society, where, talking about sexual abuse is a taboo, what else could be expected, except shunning their voice?

How unfortunate it is for those poor souls who are facing this fate? When Tahimna Durrani wrote ‘My feudal Lord’, it was declared an icon of freedom of women, but what about all those whose voices are unheard? Though, Domestic violence against women is a great problem but issues related to sexual exploitation are equally important and need consideration. They need to be dealt on equal footing with domestic violence and other such matters but no one is there to raise the voice. Who is responsible for all this? I think we all are responsible being silent observers. The need of the hour is to listen to those sobs and at least say no to all this in our own spheres. Let’s get to it before its too late!

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It is almost forbidden for our nation to speak about the almighty “ISI” publicly. Just to give you an overview about the Great Morals of our prime Intelligence Agency, times online published an article on Nov 11, 2007, highlighting some of tactics used by them. For reading the complete article click here

I would like people to discuss these actions and so many other such actions which we may or may not be aware of. So I ask you is this justified?