Afghanistan is set to criminalise the practice of “bacha bazi” — the sexual exploitation of boys — with a slew of stringent punishments laid out for the first time in a revised penal code. The move ...

The Taliban are accused of using child sex slaves to attack police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the cultural practice of “bacha bazi” — paedophilic boy play — for military gain. The subculture ...

The recent outrage over reports of systematic child rape by Afghan security forces may be justified, but sadly there is little novelty to the reports themselves. Even the Sunday New York Times article ...

HIGHLIGHTS Prosecuting the "masters" is very difficult Under the Taliban, were children safer? Should the international community shoulder some blame? What's needed to eradicate bacha bazi “Where ...

The report released Monday was heavily redacted, and at least in the public portions it did little to answer questions about how prevalent child sexual abuse was in the Afghan military and police, and ...

There is a certain culture where it is acceptable for men to take possession of young boys, dress them in girls’ clothes, make them wear makeup, jewelry, and ankle bells, and teach them to dance ...

ANNOUNCER: Tonight on FRONTLINE: In an Afghanistan ravaged by war and poverty, an ancient tradition has been secretly revived, young boys sold by their families to wealthy merchants and warlords, ...

Powerful warlords, commanders, politicians and other members of the elite often keep "bachas" as a symbol of authority and affluence. The move comes after an AFP report last year found the Taliban are ...

A new report on pervasive child sexual abuse among Afghan security personnel, prepared by the independent Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), is being suppressed by ...