Sex Abuse Pervasive in Pakistan Islamic Schools

(21 Nov 2017) ANNOTATED TEXT Kausar Parveen weeps for her son. The nine-year-old says he was raped by his cleric at this Islamic religious school. She remembers her son's blood-soaked pants. SOUNDBITE: (URDU) Kausar Parveen, mother of Sami: "It is only because of Allah that my son is alive. What if he had died? The boy says he awoke one April night to find the cleric in bed with him. SOUNDBITE: (Saraiki) Nine-year-old rape victim: "I was crying. He was hurting me. He shoved my shirt in my mouth. I wept the whole night." An investigation by The Associated Press shows sexual abuse in madrassas is a pervasive problem that is rarely prosecuted. SOUNDBITE: (Saraiki) Azam Hussain, Union Councilor: "The big problem is here that the police don't help the poor. Police ask the victim, give us money, then we will register your case." In dozens of interviews with victims, relatives aid groups and religious organizations, the subjects expressed a fear of clerics and the militant religious organizations that sometimes support them. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) I.A Rahman, Human rights activist, Independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan: "They're afraid of the people who run these madrassas, and whose power to harass people has been increasing over the years. Another young victim says he was repeatedly assaulted by a cleric in a Punjab madrassa . SOUNDBITE: (Saraiki) Rape victim. " I was scared, he told me if I told anyone, my brother, my family, he would kill them all, he will hang me." Despite the threats, the victim's brother went to police. He said police questioned his honesty over that of the cleric. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sajjad Muhammed Khan, Vehari Deputy Superintendent of Police: "The section of law demands eyewitnesses, and the corroboration of circumstance evidence, and the authenticity of medical evidence." The man accused of raping Parveen's nine-year-old son swore his innocence as he waited to go before a judge. SOUNDBITE: (URDU) Cleric accused of rape: "I am married for the last six to seven years. My wife is pretty, why would I do this to a kid? The victim's mother vowed that she would never give in to intimidation, but in the end she did. According to police, she "forgave" the cleric and accepted $300. The cleric was set free. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/87d340047aae6226c27b6a446fa04533 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork