Horrible employers: Child maid recounts ordeal of iron burns, head split open

Husband of prime suspect manages to obtain bail

RAWALPINDI: The 11-year-old child maid*, who had been tortured by her employers, recounted before a civil court on Monday the horrific ordeals she had suffered including being burnt with a hot iron and having her skull cracked open.

Meanwhile, a trial court granted bail to a suspect in the case even as his wife, the prime suspect, has gone into hiding.

On Monday, the Rawalpindi police brought the child maid — whom they had recovered from her native village in Faisalabad the day before — to the civil courts.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed to ensure the girl’s security while a female officer from the Child Protection Bureau (CPB) accompanied her.

As she appeared before civil judge Sameera Alamgir to record her statement, the judge told all the police officers, the investigating officer and even the CPB officer to leave the courtroom. Once the officers had left, the judge locked the courtroom.

You are safe here, there is no pressure on you. Think for a while and tell me the truth, you will get justice,” Judge Alamgir assured the girl.

The child maid then, between sobs, told the judge what had befallen her while working at the Wilayat Colony home in Rawalpindi.

Confirming torture, the girl recounted shocking tales of torture including being burnt using hot irons and being beaten such that her head split open, requiring stitches.

The account even caused Judge Alamgir, who was writing down the statement, to tear up.

After recording her hour-long statement, the child maid was then handed her over to the CPB again by the civil judge.

Suspect granted bail

As the child maid started recording her statement before a civil judge, a suspect in the case — Dr Mohsin Riaz, quietly arrived at the judicial complex to appear before Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Aslam.

Judge Aslam was hearing Dr Riaz’s bail plea.

The judge directed the Airport Police Station to present a complete record of the case to the court and the child maid’s medical report by October 29.

Granting Dr Riaz’s bail on surety bonds worth Rs50,000, the court ordered the police not to arrest the suspect until the next hearing.

As quietly he had arrived, Dr Riaz disappeared after obtaining the interim bail. His wife, prime suspect Ammara, is believed to have gone into hiding.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari has said that they have taken notice of the incident and are taking appropriate action with the alleged culprits booked.

She added that preliminary investigations had confirmed torture and that the woman was found to have been the main culprit.

Disturbing images and video statement of the child maid had gone viral on social media on Saturday, in which the child was seen showing wound marks on her face, arms, neck and head, which she said she had received at the hands of her employers. It had prompted an outcry on social media.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2018.