Eight-year-old Sana, who was working as a domestic help in WAPDA Town Lahore, has been beaten by employers for stealing some milk. The girl was also burnt by a hot pan and had marks and bruises on her arm.
A complaint against the torture was made to the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) in Lahore by one of the neighbors who had heard the child’s screams. She is now in the protective custody of the bureau.
Chairman CPWB Sarah Ahmad also ensured that Sana is in their custody and they will take action against the culprits. “Upon inquiry and investigation it was known, that in addition to physical violence, the girl was subject to underpayment. It is a crime to hire underaged children for domestic help and even more so to abuse them,” CPWB said in a statement.
An important message from Chairperson #CPWB , Ms. @SarahAhmad_PTI ! Upon instructions from Governor Punjab, Mr. @UsmanAKBuzdar and the mission of the Bureau ,the 8 year old domestic help, who was physically abused in Wapda Town, Lhr has been rescued.#SayNoToChildAbuse pic.twitter.com/qLBRTQy1Qb
— Child Protection & Welfare Bureau (@cpwbpunjab) July 9, 2020
Lahore girl was punished with a knife, hot water, and rods
Sarah told Dawn, Sana was working at Hammad Raza’s home in Wapda Town and was regularly punished by her employers through physical abuse. The CPWB was alerted through a call on their helpline 1121. She had been working for seven months at Raza’s house for Rs5,000 a month. Upon her rescue, it was noted that there were injuries on her hands and feet and burn marks on her neck and back.
“There were marks of torture on the entire body of a child and her limbs were swollen because of being beaten. While there was a deep gash on her wrist done by a knife. On the back of her neck, she had been scalded with hot water. Her employers had slashed her stomach with a heated knife. Her ankles were bruised from being beaten with a stick,” Sarah said.
Moreover, she added, “The child had been kept hungry for the past five days. The child’s parents have been informed. She will be given all medical treatment required, as well as legal aid to help with the case”.
These days, we’ve read countless news stories, and people narrating their personal experiences where children become victims of child abuse. Such inhumane people deserve severe punishment. It’s important to talk about this important issue to spread awareness to avoid problems in the future.
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