Daily Mail Exposes Bacha Bazi Child Abuse in Afghanistan, June 02

The Daily Mail has published a report documenting the ongoing practice of bacha bazi, the sexual enslavement of young boys in Afghanistan. Taliban officials and local commanders are implicated in the abuse. The report draws on victim testimonies and historical records, showing how the practice has caused severe psychological and physical harm to survivors. Girls face equal vulnerability, with many sold into forced marriages by families driven to economic desperation.

How the Taliban Used Boys as Weapons

During the Taliban’s war against the previous government, the group deployed dozens of boys, particularly in Uruzgan province, to lure and assassinate police commanders. According to the Daily Mail report, this method succeeded in numerous documented cases in 2016, leaving dozens of soldiers and police officers dead. Boys were forced to perform before groups of powerful men after being dressed in women’s clothing and makeup, then subjected to sexual abuse.

Lasting Damage to Survivors

Victims of bacha bazi emerge from years of rape, violence, and abuse facing severe psychological and physical injury, addiction, poverty, and social exclusion. The Daily Mail’s investigation reveals the practice continues on a widespread and clandestine basis, with children from impoverished families bearing the brunt of exploitation. The abuse leaves survivors unable to reintegrate into society.

Girls Face Forced Marriages and Abuse

Girls in Afghanistan are described as equally vulnerable to exploitation. Many are sold into forced marriages by families driven to desperation by economic hardship. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has criticized world leaders for inaction on Afghan women’s rights, noting that under Taliban penal code, a husband’s physical abuse of his wife is not prosecuted unless it causes severe physical harm such as broken bones.

UN Documents Ongoing Sexual Violence

The United Nations Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that 21 cases of conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls were documented in Afghanistan during 2025. The cases involved 15 women and six girls and included rape, gang rape, forced marriage, and forced nudity. The report alleges Taliban officials, including members of the security forces, were involved in the incidents.

Final Thoughts

The Daily Mail report and UN documentation confirm that sexual abuse of children and women in Afghanistan persists under Taliban rule. International accountability mechanisms remain absent, leaving survivors without justice or protection.

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