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| Pakistan child sex abuse: Seven arrested in Punjab | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Seven people have been arrested in eastern Pakistan on suspicion of involvement in a child sexual abuse and extortion scandal. | Seven people have been arrested in eastern Pakistan on suspicion of involvement in a child sexual abuse and extortion scandal. |
| The Chief Minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, ordered a judicial inquiry into reports that hundreds of children had been abused. | The Chief Minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, ordered a judicial inquiry into reports that hundreds of children had been abused. |
| Local media say a gang made videos showing the abuse of children, whose parents were then subject to blackmail. | Local media say a gang made videos showing the abuse of children, whose parents were then subject to blackmail. |
| The scandal centres on a village near the city of Kasur. | The scandal centres on a village near the city of Kasur. |
| Police have seized almost 20 videos and say more arrests are expected. | Police have seized almost 20 videos and say more arrests are expected. |
| 'Largest scandal' | 'Largest scandal' |
| Last week, more than 20 people were injured as families of the alleged victims clashed with police in Kasur, accusing the authorities of ignoring their complaints. | Last week, more than 20 people were injured as families of the alleged victims clashed with police in Kasur, accusing the authorities of ignoring their complaints. |
| Saba Sadiq, the head of Punjab's child protection bureau, described the case as "the largest child abuse scandal in Pakistan's history", the AFP news agency reports. | Saba Sadiq, the head of Punjab's child protection bureau, described the case as "the largest child abuse scandal in Pakistan's history", the AFP news agency reports. |
| Media reports suggest that hundreds of videos have been made involving more than 280 children, aged mostly under 14. | Media reports suggest that hundreds of videos have been made involving more than 280 children, aged mostly under 14. |
| The victims were allegedly forced to perform sex acts on each other. | The victims were allegedly forced to perform sex acts on each other. |
| Analysis by the BBC's Ilyas Khan in Islamabad | |
| Child sex abuse is widespread in parts of Pakistan, especially in the countryside. According to one estimate, over 3,500 cases of child molestation were reported in 2014, of which 67% were reported from rural areas. | |
| Many victims are afraid to report abuse, in a society which allows abusers to brag about their exploits but stigmatises their victims. | |
| Meanwhile, many have noticed that most of the clips being investigated date back to 2008-09, when camera phones first became widely available, with few recent cases being reported. | |
| This has led some to suspect that the clips were reported to the police amid a local dispute. |