The Pakistani police have reportedly detained 20 suspects in an investigation of murder and sexual assault of three children in Kasur district of Pakistan. According to the authorities, there might be an involvement of a serial killer in the district where similar crimes of abduction and abuse have been reported in the past. The bodies of the children were found from the area of the industrial estate after they went missing. The local media has reported the disappearance of three other children since June from the same area. Last week, another child went missing until the bodies were found. 

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Investigation on missing children

The regional police officer, Zulfiqar Hameed, reportedly said to an international agency that the recovering of all three bodies from the same spot indicates the possibility of involvement of a serial killer. The district police have evidently collected DNA samples of the 20 suspects in custody. Earlier in 2015, videos were circulated of hundreds of local children being sexually assaulted in Pakistan. According to the official, it was also the case of the worst child abuse case in the country's history. Recently, people flooded the street to protest about the killings and allegedly damaged the shops in the area. 

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Child abuse in Kasur

Kasur falls on the south of the city of Lahore and the area of crime is Chunian which is located in the same district. Kasur has been hit by the worst cases of sexual assault and violence against children in the past. Locals believe that the cause of the reoccurring crime is the failure of relevant police action and the culture of impunity. In 2018, a body of a child was found in the garbage dumpster which was also reportedly the 12th incident of a child being abducted and killed in a year. According to the chairperson of the Child Protection and Welfare in Punjab, Sarah Ahmed, child abuse is a huge challenge in Kasur. The situation is so severe that purportedly the children in the area are fearful to go outside. Officials have reportedly announced for parents to escort their children to school. 

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(With agency inputs)