‘Family feud’: Girl, 15, raped by relative

Mother says brother of one of the kidnappers had raped her sister 20 years ago.

BAHAWALPUR:

A 15-year-old girl, reported kidnapped 15 days ago, returned home on Wednesday and reported that she had been kidnapped, detained and raped by a relative.

Faryal*, youngest of three sisters, was taken to a hospital, where her medico-legal examination confirmed that she had been raped.

Civil Lines police said the girl was kidnapped from her house in Nazeerabad Colony, while her family was away.

The girl told police that a relative, Shahid, had come to their house with one Nadeem. She said she had told them that her parents were not home. She said they had insisted on waiting for them at her house and one of them gave her a pack of juice. She said she fainted on drinking it. After coming to, she told the police, she found herself tied up.

She said that Rafique’s* wife, Sanober*, was also there. She said when she requested Sanober to let her go, she beat her and tore her clothes. She said she was raped by Rafique for two weeks.

Finally, she said, the couple’s maid helped her flee. She also arranged for an elderly man to escort her, she told the police.

The police said Faryal was taken to Victoria Hospital, where her medico-legal examination had confirmed rape.

Faryal’s mother told The Express Tribune she and her husband had reported the girl’s absence to the police. She said a neighbour had later told them that he had seen an unconscious Faryal being driven away in a car. He said he was told that the girl was not well and was being taken to a hospital.

Faryal’s mother said that her sister Mehnaz Bibi* was allegedly raped by Sanober’s brother, Khalid* 20 years ago. She said when her sister gave birth to a son, her family approach Khalid, who was already married, proposing that he marry the girl and own the child, but he refused.

“His family accused us of maligning their reputation. My sister went mad from the shock and suffering.

She said since the registration of the case, her family had been receiving death threats. Her husband, too, said unidentified callers had told him to withdraw the case. But he said he was adamant to pursue it.

*Names have been changed to protect identities

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2012.