Child abuse: 12-year-old dies after being beaten by teacher with stick

MUZAFFARABAD: A seminary student died after she was beaten by her teacher on Saturday.

A recently released post mortem report has proven that 12-year-old Shamim and her younger sister Sonia were severely beaten by their employer and teacher. Shamim died on the way to the Muzaffargarh hospital and doctors confirmed that she had suffered severe head trauma and other injuries.

According to police officials, Lat Karan resident Nazar Hussain’s daughters Shamim (12) and Sonia (7) worked at the house of a local seminary teacher Pinko Mai. “The woman taught them how to recite the Quran and they also did house hold chores for her to help our family with finances,” Hussain told the police. Hussain, who is a daily wage labourer said that his daughters had been working for Musammat Pinko Mai for over three years and lived with her and her daughters in their house.

Hussain said that he received a call from Pinko Mai on Saturday afternoon telling him to come and collect his daughter.

“They told me that Shamim had fainted and that I should come and take her. When I spoke to Sonia she was too scared to say anything so I headed for their house,” Hussain said. He told the police that he went to the house only to find it locked. When I broke in Sonia was lying in a corner and they had propped Shamim on a chair but she wasn’t moving and she was unconscious. Hussain said that Pinko Mai, her daughters Gogi and Rosie and her brother Fajid were all missing and they had locked up the house.

“Both my daughters were injured. Sonia wasn’t severely hurt but she had been beaten also,” he said. Neighbours took the girls to the local DHQ hospital but doctors said that Shamim was dead on arrival. “The girl’s skull had been split open and she probably died instantly,” said DHQ Dr Naeem, adding that the other child, Sonia, had been given a tetanus injection for her injuries but was not in serious condition.

“We have released the other child after an examination,” he said.

Sonia (7) later told the police that Pinko Mai had accused the girls of stealing her clothes. “We kept saying that we didn’t do it but she started beating us with a stick,” the girl told police officials. Sonia said that her older sister received a blow to the head and passed out in front of her.

“I don’t remember what happened after that and the woman escaped,” she said.

Muzaffargarh Police has registered a case against Mussamat Pinko, her brother Fajid and her daughters Gogi and Rosie.

Sonia told police officials that Pinko Mai’s daughters had also beaten the girls on suspicion of theft and that the family said that they would attack them if they told the police. Police officials have filed an FIR under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Investigation officer Noor Hussain Dakhna said “We are searching for the family’s whereabouts and doctors have confirmed that the girl was beaten to death.” Station House Officer (SHO) Sadiq Hussain Rind said that the case was being pursued and that justice would be dealt to the victim’s family.

Hospital officials have handed over Shamim’s body to her family for burial.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2011.