The study gives details on 10 cases that show a pattern. The Christian females, including prepubescent girls, are kidnapped. They are then registered as part of a married Muslim couple. When the girl’s relatives file a complaint, the victim’s new “husband” says the conversion was voluntary and the family is harassing them. The girl remains with her kidnapper as legal proceedings begin, eliminating any chance of her testifying against him.

Every year, hundreds of Christian and Hindu girls in Pakistan are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam, according to a new study. They are not just victimized by the men but by “deep-seeded Muslim and male supremacism,” in the words of a 2012 study about similar atrocities in Egypt.

The Movement for Solidarity and Peace in Pakistan released a new study this month warning about the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan, especially Christian women. There are no firm numbers, as estimates of the number of incidents involving Christian girls has been said to be as low as 100 annually or as high as 700. It is estimated that about 300 Hindu girls are kidnapped and forced to convert every year.

The organization believes that these numbers are just a fraction of the reality. The study says the “intensity and scale of conversion are far greater than as reported by the media” and most cases go unreported or undocumented by the Pakistani government. The president of the Pakistan Christian Congress, Nazir Bhatti, says very few rapes of Christian women are reported.

The study gives details on 10 cases that show a pattern. The Christian females, including prepubescent girls, are kidnapped. They are then registered as part of a married Muslim couple. When the girl’s relatives file a complaint, the victim’s new “husband” says the conversion was voluntary and the family is harassing them. The girl remains with her kidnapper as legal proceedings begin, eliminating any chance of her testifying against him.

On April 27, the president of the Pakistan Christian Congress condemned the Chief Minister of Punjab for his silence about the raping of an 8-year old Christian girl in the district of Sialkot by three Muslims on Easter. After the incident was talked about in the media, the three rapists were arrested. One was released. The girl’s father was then kidnapped and told to not press charges against the other two. She is reported to be in intensive care.

Christian Freedom International tells the story of a 12-year old Christian girl who was kidnapped by the uncle of her friend.

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