Opinion

The Role of Toxicology in Addressing Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistan

Muhammad Imran Ali*

Principal Quaid-e-Azam Law College, Kasur-Pakistan

Submission:December 27, 2024;Published:January 06, 2025

*Corresponding author:Muhammad Imran Ali, Principal Quaid-e-Azam Law College, Kasur-Pakistan Email: Principal.kasur@qlc.edu.pk

How to cite this article: Muhammad Imran A. The Role of Toxicology in Addressing Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistan. Open Acc J of Toxicol. 2025; 6(2):555684. DOI: 10.19080/OAJT.2024.06.555684.

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) continues as a major concern in Pakistan. Forensic Toxicology, often overlooked, plays an important role especially in charges that relate to use of substances to put the victims down. Improving toxicological capacity, knowledge, and legal systems may transform CSA probe, drive justice through science and solid enforcement.

Keywords:Child sexual abuse (CSA), Forensic Toxicology, Justice, Knowledge, Pakistan.

Introduction

CSA is categorically a distressing, difficult to define crime and has severe impacts on the victim and the society at large. In Pakistan, there are problems both in awareness and in the ability to address cases of CSA, they include social prejudices, poor and inadequate reporting system and finally loopholes in the criminal law of the country [1]. Toxicology is a branch of science which deals primarily with the interaction between chemicals and substances and biological systems; more particularly, it is a comparatively unexplored and nonetheless vital tool for CSA investigations and prosecutions [2].

Understanding Toxicology in the Context of Child Sexual Abuse

There is always a chance per toxicology in the cases related to CSA especially when the substances are used to disable or control the victims. Common tactics include drugging one’s target or getting them intoxicated, which include drugging or getting the victim high or drunk to make sure they do not fight back. In such cases, toxicological analysis becomes essential for: Toxicology can identify and measure the number of things in a victim’s body fluids including blood, urine or hair samples. This is especially helpful, in scenarios where a survivor cannot remember what happened due to the state of alcohol or drug-induced blackouts [3]. Forensic toxicological identification data can well assist in determining the time of administration of the substance in the process of coalition with the alleged abuse of the victim that serves as the basis for belief due to its unreliability. This is important in prosecution to prove intent and modus operandi since presence of such substances shall act as proof that the perpetrator had the intention of helping in perpetration of the crime.

The Current Challenges in Pakistan

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) cases in Pakistan are have system linked problems such as inadequate forensic facilities, lack of staff, societal problems and skilled staff and lack of justice for victims. Although forensic medicine is sometime utilized in such occasions, toxicology continues to be underexplored. The primary challenges include facilities with toxicology laboratories are also rather limited in number in Pakistan and the forensic facilities have neither the appropriate equipment nor the skills to identify the new synthetic analogs of the drugs or to analyze the sample with accuracy. This lack of infrastructure results in the majority of cases remaining unsolved because of lack of enough evidence. A major challenge, therefore, arises from the lack of trained toxicologists and forensic personnel. Often when samples are collected, they are often exposed incorrectly or even analyzed by incompetent personnel making the evidence inadmissible in court. CSA cases are characterized by late reporting, mainly due to stigmatization and repercussions [4]. This delay affects the nature and timeliness of the collection of biological samples because many substances appear and then disappear after a short time. Judicial incapacities are often revealed in terms of their limited understanding and awareness of toxicological issues in Pakistan [5]. Judges and lawyers do not grasp the precise role all such evidence plays and therefore may not use this evidence to the best of its potential or may misinterpret it during a trial.

The Importance of Toxicology in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

The challenges in child sexual abuse case are not immense to deny the fact that toxicology has a huge capacity to revolutionalise the investigation and prosecution of CSA cases in Pakistan [6]. It plays the role of a vehicle for the purpose of making sure that justice, not solely being sought, is also done in the scientifically accurate manner. Hence, toxicological analysis offers independent and professional evidence which when put together with victim statements and other such evidence may help the court make their determination [7]. Especially in cases when a child is sexually abused, the child is too young or too traumatized or cannot describe the abuse in detail. Most cases involve a lack of evidence in support of the victim’s testimony. In homicide cases, toxicology can fill this vacuum by affirming the injection of substances in the event being narrated by the victim. The type of drug or substance that the perpetrator uses may be seen to have a pattern of occurrence that patterns the criminal with many cases [8]. This is especially important in CSA cases because many of the offenders have sexually acted inappropriately in the past. This aforesaid evidence can hardly be contested when obtained through proper methods at the toxicological department. When introduced into CSA cases it can greatly improve the conviction rates, effectively decreasing potential offenders and build the public’s trust in the justice system.

International Precedents and Lessons for Pakistan

The applicability of toxicology in cases related to child sexual abuse cases is well recognized within the USA. Sophisticated laboratories, as well as skilled personnel, use biological specimens to determine drugs or other substances [9]. Specific guidelines exist within the UK regarding the screening of toxicological data for use in sexual assault cases. At the scene, the Forensic Science Service offers basic training to the law enforcement agencies and medical professionals in order to preserve and collect evidence most appropriately [10]. In the recent past, India has stepped up the medical and toxicological examination of CSA cases. The POCSO Act means scientific investigation like toxicological analysis has received significant importance while seeking justice for child victims [11].

Recommendations for Pakistan

Pakistan must follow ways including legislative reforms, capacity building and raising awareness. The current laws governing investigations of CSA should require toxicological examination whenever substance consumption is a possible factor. It will be necessary to introduce clear procedure for collecting, preserving, and analyzing the evidence into the existed enactments. More investment should be made towards the modernization of toxicology laboratories and procuring better equipment’s. Setting up regional forensic centers will go a long way to enhance the availability of toxicology services throughout the nation. Police officers, doctors and especially forensic scientists involved in toxicological samples need to undergo some special training on handling samples. Social marketing should strive at creating awareness of CSA incidences and when to report the incidents as well as increase community awareness on the importance of toxicological investigations in delivery of justice. This may assist in the acceleration of evidential recovery and boost general investigation efficiency. Pakistan may find useful partnership with the countries, which have previously applied toxicology into legal framework. These collaborations may entail the use of technical cooperation with other international organizations and an analysis of concepts and techniques of forensic institutions all over the world.

Conclusion

The incorporation of toxicology in CSA investigations is now a major advancement toward combating the rampant problem of CSA in Pakistan. Through the use of scientific evidence therefore, there is way of prosecuting such horrible crimes in the criminal justice system as practiced today that can deal with several of the challenges that are reigning today. Ultimately, however, many barriers persist; still, the prospect of toxicity as the decisive factor in CSA cases’ profiles cannot be denied. It is in light of this shift towards what will increasingly be widely viewed as requisite victim-centeredness in Pakistan’s application of justice that the place of toxicology must be elevated so that no child suffers in silence and such criminals are dealt the severest of consequences by the course of justice.

References

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