Lahore authorities have introduced strict measures to combat false sexual assault claims, with offenders facing up to three years in prison under the Anti-Rape Act. The city’s Investigation Wing is in the process of formulating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the effective implementation of the law, and police officials have emphasized that filing a false rape case will now be punishable under this act.
Police records show that 47% of sexual assault cases reported this year in Lahore were found to be baseless. In over 400 cases, investigations cleared 70 individuals who had been wrongly accused. Currently, 800 cases are still under investigation, while the remaining reports have been submitted to the courts.
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Officials further clarified that the plaintiff in cases of false accusations will either be the investigating officer or the victim, with a formal decision on this procedural matter expected soon. A police spokesperson noted that the implementation of provisions under the Anti-Rape Act will help significantly reduce the number of false cases, thereby improving the handling of sexual assault complaints.
