Incidents of rape involving minor girls have risen considerably in the
NWFP because of law-enforcement agencies' inability to take effective measures to
curb such atrocities, a report issued by an NGO said. It said a large number of
rapes of minor girls were reported in the media. It was reported that offenders in
these cases were either on the run or were using their clout to coerce the victims'
families to settle the matter without making a fuss in this regard.

Criticizing the apathy of the local administration and police, Mrasta's monthly
report cited a case of sexual abuse reported in the media in which a five-year-old
girl was assaulted by one Janas Khan in the Mansehra district, adding that medical
reports had confirmed the abuse.

The accused, it was reported, was still at large. In another case reported on May
25, a 13-year-old girl was gang-raped by nine people in Kucha Dheri in the Nowshera
district. The accused in the case had not yet been arrested. On May 27, two girls of
20 and 15 years of age were raped by four people in the Chughalpura locality of
Peshawar. The police had not yet been able to arrest the culprits in this case as
well. Another case reported in the media on May 28, two boys below the age of 15
raped two girls aged seven and 11 years in the Swat district. Both the accused were
reported to be in police custody.

Expressing indignation at the occurrence of such incidents, an office-bearer of the
NGO said they were a matter of embarrassment for what is being called Islamic
society and the nation as well. [Source: DAWN]