Rising child sexual abuse: What are we missing?

Does depravity have a limit? I ask this question in the context of child sexual abuse in Bangladesh, which has been setting new standards of frequency, barbarity, and cruelty.

As per data compiled by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), child rape cases have increased by 75 percent in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. What does this say about our society? Even more horrific is that out of the 306 girls raped this year, 40 were mere toddlers up to six years old, 94 were between 7 and 12, and 103 were teens, meaning below 18. Although largely unreported, experts claim that child sexual abuse within families is common, as is the rape of boys in madrasas and such residential settings. Most recently, a teenage girl with intellectual disability was raped by a 27-year-old man in Bandarban's Lama Upazila. The chilling reality is that families, educational institutions, and the state have completely failed to protect our children.

According to the ASK, cases for only 251 out of the 306 incidents were registered, leaving the rest out of the justice system. However, there is no guarantee of justice even if cases are filed or perpetrators arrested. Most get out on bail using either money, political clout, or some lacunae in the system.

It is important to note some of the horrific incidents of child abuse in the recent past to remind ourselves that our children are in grave danger, requiring urgent action.

Read more

Confronting the overlooked facets of child abuse

The rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Magura, by the father-in-law of her elder sister (a child bride herself), and abetted by her mother-in-law and husband, shook the nation to the core. Students all over Bangladesh rose to protest. The rapist was handed death sentence. Following this gruesome murder, in July, the body of a nine-year-old was found in a mosque where she was a student studying the Holy Quran. She was raped before being murdered; the alleged perpetrators were the imam and muazzin of the mosque in question. Boys also fall victim to sexual abuse, but due to the social stigma attached to the rape of boys, cases mostly go unreported. ASK reports 30 such cases between the ages of 7 and 12 during the first seven months of this year. What is more concerning is that these numbers do not tell the entire story, and there are probably as many such cases not being reported.

Sexual violence, besides physical damage, leaves deep trauma and scars in a child, and if not addressed, can have serious psychological repercussions for their entire lives. As per psychologists, children with a history of sexual abuse show signs of insecurity, mistrust, and are often unable to have normal conjugal relations as adults. Many children are too young to understand what or how it happened. They are often unable to tell their parents about it unless a serious injury takes place. Add to that the social stigma the child has to endure. Often, they cannot go back to their school or play with their friends. Parents have reported having to move from their neighbourhood to avoid the social humiliation.

For those of us who have invested decades working to address gender-based violence, the situation is increasingly frustrating and demoralising. We are frustrated with the system that does not work, the laws that do not get implemented, and the general attitude towards women and girls that does not change. We are now wondering if we have missed a plot. Is our strategy at fault? Is there a need to look at this issue differently? Most importantly, are we only talking among ourselves?

Read more

Protect children from rape, sexual abuse

The bigger question is, why is this happening? What is turning men and boys to commit such acts of depravity? The reason cannot be the urge for sexual pleasure. Is it the effect of drugs, or is it because offenders just want to inflict pain on a "female"? Whether the female is a child or an adult does not matter to them. Beneath all this is the belief that they will get away with it.

This brings us to the issue of justice. The entire process of seeking justice is so time-consuming, financially crippling, and humiliating that most parents give up halfway, while many don't bother to file a case. The so-called "sensational" cases get attention, and quick justice or "zero tolerance for child sexual abuse" is promised. However, except in a few cases, as the dust settles, all promises are forgotten, and the justice system goes back to its usual pace. In the Magura rape and murder case, the offender was sentenced in three weeks. But what about the thousands of other cases, some waiting for years to be resolved? Unless justice is delivered equally for everyone, faith in the justice system will not return.

The conclusion is: it cannot be "business as usual." Some drastic changes have to take place at the institutional, societal, and family levels. One of the actions we have missed out on is engaging with offenders. Perhaps it is time to get into their minds to find out the root cause of their perverted behaviour that has destroyed the lives of so many children.

Whatever strategy we take up henceforth, there is no doubt that prevention and protection must go hand in hand to stop this rot that is causing such harm to our children, robbing them of their childhood, and preventing their healthy, happy growth.

Shaheen Anam is executive director at Manusher Jonno Foundation.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

Follow The Daily Star Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions, commentaries and analyses by experts and professionals. To contribute your article or letter to The Daily Star Opinion, see our guidelines for submission.