Supreme Court Commutes Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment in Schoolgirl Rape Case, Orders Enhanced Student Protection Measures

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of raping a 10-year-old schoolgirl in Sheikhupura to life imprisonment, while issuing wide-ranging directives to federal and provincial authorities to strengthen the protection of female students and modernize the country’s medico-legal system.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court issued a detailed judgment in the case, authored by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar. The court upheld the convict’s fine of Rs300,000 and the additional six-month imprisonment in case of non-payment. It also maintained the order requiring the convict to pay Rs100,000 in compensation to the victim under the Anti-Rape Act.

The court rejected the convict’s claim that he had been falsely implicated following a dispute at the school gate, ruling that the defense had failed to substantiate its allegations.

In its judgment, the Supreme Court declared the safety of female students in educational institutions to be a fundamental responsibility of the state. The court emphasized that providing secure environments in and around schools, colleges, and universities is a constitutional obligation.

The court directed the Inspectors General of Police of all four provinces and Islamabad to immediately increase police patrols around educational institutions. It further ordered law enforcement agencies to ensure prompt legal action on complaints involving harassment or abuse of women and children.

The judgment also criticized the conduct of the school administration, observing that officials attempted to conceal the incident out of fear of reputational damage and administered medical treatment to the child within the school premises. The court held that the three-day delay in registering the FIR and the administration’s silence could not be used against the victim or her widowed mother, nor could it justify granting the accused the benefit of doubt.

The Supreme Court noted that medical evidence clearly confirmed sexual assault and physical injuries suffered by the child. It ruled that the absence of semen in the forensic report could not serve as grounds for dismissing the case.

In addition, the court recommended that the federal and provincial governments establish modern medico-legal services across the country on the model of the Sindh Medical Legal Act 2023, enabling the collection of scientific and reliable evidence in serious criminal cases, particularly those involving sexual violence.

The judgment is being viewed as a significant step toward strengthening child protection measures, improving institutional accountability, and enhancing the quality of forensic and medico-legal investigations in Pakistan.