Pakistan: Eight-year-old allegedly raped by shopkeeper in Chiniot, accused blackmails father

An eight-year-old girl in the Punjab province of Pakistan was allegedly raped by a shopkeeper after she visited his store to buy a pencil on October 8. The incident occurred in the Chenab Nagar area in the city of Chiniot.

According to local media reports, the 40-year-old accused sexually assaulted the girl who had visited the store alone. And, an accomplice recorded a video of the assault on his mobile phone.

Culprits blackmail father

The eight-year-old victim is the daughter of a labourer, a resident of Kot Ameer Shah.

The father of the girl filed a police complaint after he went looking for the girl and found her at the shop after the attack, local media reported.

Reportedly, the accused and his accomplices told him not to report the incident and blackmailed him, threatening him with consequences like sharing the recorded footage online.

The clip was eventually shared on social media.

The main accused identified as Saeed has been arrested.

However, the police are yet to arrest the two accomplices.

The Chiniot District Police Officer Bilal Zafar Sheikh told local media that the accused would be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.

Speaking about the incident and recent sexual abuse cases against children in the country, Twitter user @Noxious_Numaira tweeted to Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, and wrote: “Eight-year-old girl blackmailed and raped multiple times. The rapist made videos of her and shared them with his friends. Third case of child molestation in the last 48 hours.”