A horrifying incident in Charsadda's Tangi tehsil has shocked the region, where a seven-year-old girl was found murdered after being subjected to sexual assault, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Nasir Khan Kalay, a remote and underdeveloped area. According to SHO Tangi Nowsherwan Khan, the child had gone with two friends to buy milk after madrassa classes on Tuesday evening. Her friends returned when milk was delayed, but she never made it home. Later that night, her body was found hanging near a canal.

Police have registered a case under Sections 302 (murder), 376 (rape), and 53 of the Child Protection Act. The SHO said profiling of nearby households has been completed, while DNA samples have been sent to a forensic laboratory to help identify the culprit.

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According to SHO Tangi Nowsherwan Khan, the child had gone with two friends to buy milk after madrassa classes on Tuesday evening. Her friends returned when milk was delayed, but she never made it home.

The girl's funeral was held in her native village on Wednesday and attended by a large number of residents, political representatives, and activists. Speaking on the occasion, social activist Haji Farman Ali said that parents must remain vigilant, as“most cases of child abuse are committed by people known to the victims.”

He added that society must confront the reality that such crimes can occur anywhere, even in places where people assume moral immunity.

Provincial Assembly member Khalid Khan Mohmand condemned the incident, urging transparent and speedy investigations. He said the government would push for tougher laws and punishments to deter such crimes and called on the victim's family to cooperate fully with the investigation.

According to Sahil, a non-governmental organization working on child protection, incidents of sexual violence against children have increased by 20 percent in 2025.

In its report "Cruel Numbers 2025,” the NGO said 1,956 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in the first half of 2025, compared to 1,630 during the same period in 2024. Among these were 950 cases of sexual assault, 605 of abduction, 192 of missing children, and 34 of forced or compensation marriages.

Sahil said the data, compiled from 81 national and regional newspapers as well as direct reports, highlights that children across Pakistan remain at grave risk of sexual violence.

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