Haripur: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced strict action against the alleged kidnapping, rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in Haripur, saying that those responsible will be severely punished according to the law if found guilty.
The Chief Minister met the girl’s family in Haripur on Saturday and expressed his condolences. He assured the family that the government would take the investigation of the matter seriously and no negligence would be tolerated. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had earlier directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team for a complete and transparent investigation of the case.
According to the police, the girl went missing from outside her house in Haripur on August 10. After a long search, her body was found on August 24 in an unused well near a warehouse. The police took this action based on information provided by a suspect.
During the investigation, the police arrested four suspects. The police used various means, including CCTV footage and geo-fencing, to reach the suspects. According to the authorities, the ages of the people arrested in the case are young, so it will be necessary to comply with the relevant laws in the investigation and further legal proceedings.
According to the post-mortem report, the girl was sexually assaulted. The report has stated that excessive bleeding was the cause of death. Doctors have also obtained samples from the body, which have been handed over to the police for DNA and other forensic tests.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that such crimes against children cannot be ignored under any circumstances. According to him, the government’s aim is not only to punish the accused but also to make the child protection system more effective.
In this regard, the Chief Minister has announced to make the Child Protection Act more effective and name it after the victim girl. According to the latest report available, there has also been talk of naming the proposed Child Protection Bill after the girl.
Further investigation of the case is underway by the police. Authorities will move forward with the case after completing forensic evidence and other legal requirements. At this stage, final liability will be determined only after the court’s decision.
