The ordeal of Pakistani teenager Zara Shah began with a video game. An unknown person contacted her online, befriended her, and then began blackmailing and threatening her if she didn't send him nude photos.
Zara is one of 1.5 million Pakistani children and teenagers estimated by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to be victims of online sexual violence annually in Pakistan, according to a report published in early September.
The 17-year-old recounts, "We started talking online while playing games. Then he started acting like a friend. After that, he asked to meet me, and then he started asking me for nude photos."
She adds, "When I refused, he threatened to find out about my family and tell them that we were communicating."
Daniel Cardiflet, the study's lead author, explains that "abuses can begin with a friendly conversation, during a shared online game, or with promises of gifts, money, or a romantic relationship."
He adds, "Abusers may spend months building a relationship of trust, exploiting information available on social media."
In this conservative country, 71% of victims do not disclose what happened to them, according to the report, and none of those surveyed reported it to the police or social services.
This silence is primarily attributed to feelings of shame and fear of the family's and community's reaction.
Mehak Naeem, director of the Bhashan child rights organization in Lahore (eastern Iran), observes that "around 44% of reported abuse occurred online, with the majority taking place on Snapchat and WhatsApp."
Zara says that the threat of being told by her family was an additional reason for her silence. She adds, "They could have prevented me from going to school or even leaving the house. Silence is the best option."
- A Conducive Environment for Child and Adolescent Exploitation -
UNICEF reports that 74% of those aged 12 to 17 use the internet in Pakistan.
In an attempt to mitigate the risks, the Punjab provincial parliament (in the east) has called for a ban on social media for those under 16.
However, this proposal is opposed by activists who argue that the ban would be difficult to enforce, easily circumvented using VPNs, and that it deprives this age group of their right to free expression.
Pakistan has passed laws to combat this type of crime, but according to experts, these laws are not being properly implemented and contain numerous loopholes.
Human rights lawyer Suleiman Afridi believes that the online sexual exploitation of children demonstrates how dire economic conditions contribute to creating a conducive environment for the exploitation of children and adolescents.
He points out that 10,000 rupees (US$35) can be enough to produce child pornography.
He adds, "What we're seeing now is the use of technology in a whole range of abuses, from gaining the trust of children and teenagers, encouraging or coercing them to film this kind of material, to blackmailing them and distributing or selling the content."
The impact of sexual violence crimes on the lives of victims is long-lasting, as Zara confirms, saying, "I live in constant fear."
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