Hundreds of young children are being exploited because of an ancient fertility tradition that leaves many children deformed and sold into begging.
Rat-children or chuas are children or adults with microcephaly, exploited as beggars situated in Gujrat City, particularly the Shrine of Saint Shah Dola, and elsewhere in Pakistan. They have sloping foreheads, narrow faces that resemble rodents, and are often intellectually disabled and dependent on others.Begging rings and gangs allegedly place iron bands around the heads of healthy children to induce cranial deformation.The mazar of Shah Dolah, home to many of the rat children, is a common pilgrimage site for women and married couples who wish to bear children. Ignoring a rat child's plea for money is thought to bring bad luck.
"I have not seen this myself but I have heard from many people that they use iron rings which are placed on the baby's head to stop it growing. I believe there are about 10,000 rat children in Pakistan controlled by a mafia of beggars who are all over the country. These children are also physically and sexually abused."
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