Dec 21, 2024
By Ahmed Saeed
LAHORE
A 19-year-old girl was reportedly raped by a 40-year-old man at gunpoint on December 18 in Punjab’s Layyah District. An FIR has been lodged under section 376 (Rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Layyah City Police Station.
The aunt of the alleged rape survivor filed the FIR. According to the complaint, around 4:30 pm on December 18, the accused, Nasir, along with four other unknown accomplices, forcibly entered the residence of the victim, showing weapons to intimidate the family. They threatened the residents and sexually assaulted the 19-year-old girl in the presence of her relatives, leaving the victim traumatized.
The FIR also stated that the accused fled the crime scene after the victim’s neighbours gathered outside the house, having heard the shouting and commotion coming from inside.The family immediately informed the police, who took the survivor to DHQ Hospital Layyah for a medical examination and lodged the FIR.
The aunt of the rape survivor said that the accused had left their homes and fled the city. “They first threatened us not to report the crime to the police. But since the lodging of the FIR, they left their homes,” she said.
She urged the authorities to provide them justice, as the accused were influential and trying to evade arrest.
The investigation has been handed over to the Gender-Based Violence Cell under the Anti-Rape Act of 2021. The Investigation Officer (IO), Sub Inspector Nadia, told Voicepk that the accused had obtained interim bail from a district court. “The medical report is awaited, and only after that any preliminary conclusions be drawn regarding the authenticity of the crime,” she said.
She also mentioned that DNA samples of the survivor would be sent for forensic analysis to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) on Monday, December 23. The police are also trying to obtain the Call Data Record (CDR) for the purpose of geo-fencing and to ascertain the accused’s presence at the crime scene.
She added that SOPs and guidelines enshrined in the Anti-Rape Act have been strictly applied in this case.
According to the Punjab Police website, 3,678 cases of rape were registered in the province, out of which 858 were canceled after preliminary investigations.
In 2021, the parliament passed the Anti-Rape Act to ensure the expeditious redressal of rape and sexual abuse crimes involving women and children, through special investigation teams and courts. The Act provides for efficacious procedures and speedy trials.
The Act envisions special procedures, including the establishment of Anti-Rape Crisis Cells to provide a one-stop solution for survivors, including medico-legal examinations and the registration of FIRs. However, these crisis cells have yet to be established in every district.
The Act also mandates the establishment of a special committee at the federal level to oversee the law’s implementation. The committee has been notified and comprises public officials and rights activists.
In September 2024, the committee finalized and notified the rules to establish the country’s first national Sex Offenders Register, which was officially launched in November 2024.