A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has tempered down the child pornography scandal that broke out in Kasur three months ago, blaming rights groups and the media for creating hype around the case and playing into the hands of the accused party’s foes for political and personal gain.Only 19 sodomy claims as opposed to a rumoured 284 were found to be genuine, according to the findings of the five-member team, headed by DIG Abu Bakar Khuda Baksh. The findings were released after team members investigated 31 FIRs, interviewed more than 400 people – some of them repeatedly – and examined a total of 47 video-clips and 72 photos in light of Punjab Forensic Science report. The findings of the JIT confirm that abuse did occur and that it was recorded on mobile phones, but the scale of abuse appears considerably less than was originally reported. The JIT has interviewed over 400 witnesses, and concluded that 19 sodomy claims were genuine, not the 284 originally reported. The 47 video clips and 72 photos were found to be four to five years old. There was a gang that worked together to produce the material but there is no evidence that it was uploaded to the internet or used to extort money from the victims. The JIT has also found a linkage between a local land dispute, local politics and old enmities, all of which were woven into the story, and according to the report, magnified and manipulated by assorted parties, including the media and some civil society organisations. None of this detracts from the fact that at least 19 children were sodomised and the assaults were recorded on mobile phones. They will be mentally scarred for life by their experiences; and their families will endure shame and indignity. The possibility of their assailants ever appearing in a court, nevermind being convicted, is remote and their story has already faded from the headlines.
pk.shafaqna.com
