Hopeless Afghan struggle to save boy sex slaves

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan: Quivering with quiet rage, Shirin holds a photo of his teenage brother-in-law, who now lives as the plaything of policemen, just one victim of a hidden epidemic of kidnappings of young boys for institutionalized sexual slavery in Afghanistan.

Shirin is among 13 families Agence France-Presse traced and interviewed across three Afghan provinces who said their children were taken for the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi", or pedophilic exploitation, in Western-backed security forces.