London: A three year old Christian child has been raped while attending a UNICEF sponsored school in Raiwind, Pakistan. Police are investigating the husband of Mrs Saleem the Principal of the school, for the alleged rape.

Video taken from public Facebook page of Saleem Iqbal: Punjab Minister for Human Rights Mr. Ijaz Alam Augustin confirms rape of child of 3 years at UNICEF funded school. In the video he confirms that attempts were being made by some of the compatriots of Muhammed Saleem to lay blasphemy charges on the family of Anna to twart justice.

On 5th July 2021, Anna Chand had begun an educational program at 'UNICEF School System' (name given to a UNICEF funded home school), based at Kot Kala Sunder Road, Raiwind. Her father Chand Masih (23 yrs) works as a sweeper at a factory and her mother Roma (23 yrs) is unemployed meaning that their household was very deprived. When an offer of free education, school equipment and uniforms was brought to Roma's attention by other housewives, she found it hard to refuse. Roma wanted her daughter to have the best start to her education.

Roma speaks with British Asian Christian Association

Roma explained, she said:

“There is not a single Christian school in the area so we are limited with options.

"I have always longed for Anna to get education so that she could escape the poverty we as a family face.

"Anna could not start a Government School until she reached the age of 4 years.

"I wanted Anna to get a head start with education at this free school and was hoping to move Anna to a proper school from next year."

The school has been operating in the house of the Muhammad Saleem and has around 30 regular students. The School also operates as a madrasser (school of Islam).

On Saturday 24th July Anna Chand returned home at 11:30 am, half an hour earlier than usual. Normally her mother Roma would collect her from school but this time she was sent home despite her young age by the school principal because she had been complaining of a stomach ache. Roma gave Anna some Gestofill Syrup (a Pakistani over the counter medicine for stomache ailments [click here])

and she went to sleep. While Anna was asleep her mother found blood stains on her shalwar (trousers) but initially thought it may have been sacrificial blood from Muslim Eid-Ul-Azha rituals.

Roma explained, she said:

“I thought that as Ed-Ul-Azha had just passed recently and Anna may have caught these blood stains from somewhere in the school after the ritual slaying of a goat.

"Sacrifices like this occur throughout Muslim homes during Eid and I could not think of such brutality towards my daughter”

After sleeping for an hour (around 2pm), Anna woke up and again told her mother of the pain in her stomach.

At the same time Chand Masih (23 years) had just returned home after finishing the cleaning of the factory her works at. In the evenings he runs a street food cart and he began preparing the food for the stall. He checked in on his daughter and found her in real pain complaining about her stomach and prayed with her, before travelling to his regular location.

All night however, Anna complained about the pain and at around 9:30pm Roma concerned about her health called Chand Masih and demanded that he come home and take Anna to the hospital for a medical checkup. When Chand arrived home he found the blood stained clothes of Anna and asked his wife about them.

Roma explained that the blood stains were present on her shalwar since she had returned from school and that she had thought it was blood from Eid sacrifices. Chand asked Anna to tell him what had happened and Anna told him that uncle (name given to elders and used by Anna for Muhammed Saleem) had beaten her.

Chand rushed to the house of his sister in the same street and asked her if her son Samson, Anna's cousin, knew anything about the beating. Samson shared a very worrying account, he said:

“Teacher was not at home and Uncle sent us to a room in their upper story and asked us to read there.

"He kept Anna with him on the ground floor”

Fearing the worst, Chand took his daughter to Jinnah Hospital for a medical assessment and they confirmed that Anna had been raped.

They refused to treat Anna saying it is a police matter and we can not treat her until police have examined the case.

Chand Masih wary of going to police before getting a proper medical examination, took Anna to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ Hospital), Raiwind where she was given initial treatment and went through a medical checkup. The examination found a tear on her perineum (the area between anus and scrotum), though doctors found some evidence of rupture of her hymen (tissue over vagina)they have advised the parents to obtain clarity of this position from an expert because of the looming criminal case.