VOM Australia partners in Pakistan are helping to provide legal aid to Christian victims of targeted crimes.
A 21-year-old Christian woman, Sheeza Bibi, was brutally gang raped inside her home on 11 June. Her husband, Intikhab, had been tricked into leaving home that day by his employer, Mohsin, who used this opportunity to enter the house, with two accomplices, and raped Sheeza in front of their three-year-old daughter.
Intikhab said, “When I returned home, my wife was crying and shaken. She told me what Mohsin and his friends had done. Later, Mohsin returned to our house, gave me 1,100 rupees ($20), and told me to leave again … It was clear then that this had all been a set-up,”
The couple immediately went to the local police station to register a First Information Report. Instead of receiving protection, both Sheeza and Intikhab were allegedly subject to physical abuse at the hands of officers, and their statements were taken and signed under coercion. According to the family, they were also offered money to withdraw the case.
Authorities initially buried the case until a local television channel aired the victim’s video testimony. The public outcry that followed led to increased scrutiny of the police’s role in shielding the suspects. After pressure from civil society and VOM’s partner organisation, a court-ordered medical examination confirmed the assault.
On 23 June, the court ordered the arrest of all three suspects. They are currently in police custody.
VOM’s partner organisation has filed a formal complaint against the police officials involved and is pursuing additional legal action against those responsible for intimidation, evidence tampering, and obstruction of justice.
Unfortunately, both Sheeza and her lawyer have reported receiving threats from the perpetrators’ families, despite the main accused being in police custody. Sheeza and her family face ongoing pressure to accept money and withdraw the case, but refuse.
Our partners have provided Sheeza and her husband with financial assistance, as they are currently living with relatives and facing significant restrictions due to the ongoing threats.
Over 1,000 minority girls face similar fates each year. Yet very few cases result in convictions due to police negligence, a biased judiciary, and threats from influential offenders.
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