ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: `During the last 15 years nothing has changed in Pakistan regarding violence against women and I can say the five-year-old gang rape victim in Lahore and her family will never get justice.

This was stated by Mukhtaran Mai, a gang rape victim herself who has now become an iconic advocate for women rights.

She was talking to Dawn during a protest at F-6 Markaz against the rape of the girl.

`We have the law but the relevant department does not show any interest in implementing it.` Ms Mai said.

Because of the weak prosecution system, most culprits escape punishment. They (culprits) even force the witnesses to change their statements, she added.

`Had the culprits behind the gang rape of the five-year-old girl been arrested, another minor girl would not have been raped on Wednesday,` she said.

During the demonstration, the protesters demanded transparency in releasing the video clips of Ganga Ram hospital security cameras.

They condemned the alleged willful de-struction of valuable forensic/chemical/DNA evidence, including the survivor`s clothes.

Besides Ms Mai, the rally was led by Justice (retired) Majida Rizvi, Anis Haroon, former chairperson of the National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW); Uzma Noorani, Naeem Mirza, Dr Tahira Aftab and Shagufta Alizai.

Through a resolution, the participants demanded immediate arrest, prosecution and conviction of the culprits and protection of the important visual, chemical and forensic/DNA evidence of the case.

They said rape and paedophilia were heinous crimes not just against an individual but against society and the state. Thus the survivor`s family must not be pressured to accept any out-of-court settlement.

They said the federal and provincial governments should enact long-pending children`s protection laws, including maximum punishment of life-long imprisonment until death without possibility of parole, remission or pardon for the paedophilia, rape and gang-rape convicts.-A Reporter