A girl and a 13-year-old boy were reportedly sexually assaulted in separate incidents in Rahim Yar Khan on Monday, Express News reported.In the first incident which occurred in Basti Ghaus Pur, police said that S* was abducted by Shahzad and Imran while she was returning home from a function.The suspects allegedly took the victim to nearby fields where they sexually assaulted her. However, the culprits fled from the scene after the girl raised a hue and cry. The victim, left injured at the scene, was shifted to a hospital for medical examination. The police have registered a case and conducted raids to apprehend the accused.Meanwhile, a 13-year-old boy was raped in Rahim Yar Khan’s Zaffarabad area. An official of Shedani police station said that T* was abducted by Irfan and his accomplices.The suspects took the boy to an undisclosed location where they allegedly abused him sexually.The boy was shifted to a hospital for medical examination. A case has been registered against the accused.On August 16, a woman was raped in the city’s Tiranda Muhammad Panah area. A police official said Sajid Ali barged into the house of S*, a resident of Chak No 142-NP, and allegedly raped her when she was alone.After committing the offence, the accused left the victim in a semi-naked state and fled the scene.In recent months, cases of sexual abuse have been on the rise across Punjab. Most cases have been reported from Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Gujranwala and other parts of the province. The victims include women and minor girls or boys.A report issued by NGO Sahil revealed that the highest incidents of sexual abuse involving children were recorded in Punjab. Earlier, Sahil executive director Manizeh Bano said the sexual exploitation of women and children across Punjab had been reported over many years.She added hundreds of rape cases have been identified, but only a few victims have come forward to seek justice.* Names withheld to protect identityPublished in The Express Tribune, August 28, 2018.