Three years ago, the largest child abuse scandal in Pakistan's history shattered Hussain Khanwala, Punjab, home to a poor farming community.

In 2015, the Nation newspaper reported that a gang running a pedophile and pornography ring assaulted more than 280 children, extorting significant sums from family members by threatening to "dishonor" them through releasing videos of their young relatives being assaulted and forced to perform sex acts.

About 400 videos were discovered, which the Nation said were sold for around 50 Pakistani rupees ($0.45) each.

Several victims fled the village. Many had been manipulated into feeling ashamed. Others were frustrated by an apparent lack of justice, which some still wait for.

The victims said the atrocities were carried out between 2006 and 2014.

However, Malik Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh, an inspector who led police investigations at the time, denies that 280 children were assaulted, 400 videos were found and 35 young victims fled.

He says the number of children assaulted is closer to 20.

"There was a lack of evidence, and we can't go on hearsay," he told Al Jazeera.

Residents were less willing to talk to Al Jazeera about the female victims of the ring.

Local council chairman Mobeen Ghaznavi said when the story broke, families of the village were blacklisted by people in surrounding areas, in terms of being approached for marriage proposals.

Read the full article on lasting impacts of child abuse scandal by Alia Chughtai at Al Jazeera