Rape victim demands action against father, ‘brothel owner’ | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Rape victim demands action against father, ‘brothel owner’

PESHAWAR: A minor girl recently shifted from the Swat Darul Aman to the city’s Women Crises Centre on the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directives demanded action against her father and a woman whom she accused of forcing her into prostitution for two years.

“I am thankful to the PHC chief justice who protected me from my cruel father and the woman, and 1 would like to see both of them behind bars,” the minor girl, who wished not to be named told Daily Times. Her father Aziz Khan, a drug addict, allegedly sold her two years ago for Rs.40,000 to Sofia in Swat. “My father took me to Swat on the pretext of visiting my aunt’s house two years ago,” she said. She added that instead of taking her to her aunt’s house, her father sold her to Sofia, and that a man named Jaffar acted as a middleman between her father and Sofia.

The girl said Sofia’s husband Mohammad Hussain used to take five-six men to his house where she, along with several other unknown women, was raped several times.

The girl added that Sofia used to give her medicines by saying that she would grow up better by taking them. “I did not like the medicines and whenever I refused to take it, she would treat me harshly,” she added.

PHC Chief Justice Tariq Pervez Khan had taken suo motu notice of the issue on July 25 after a news report that police had raided a brothel in Swat on July 22 and the girl was later shifted Peshawar on PHC directions. The PHC chief justice also directed the NWFP health services director general to immediately form a three member medical board for the girl’s medical examination and to submit the report within a week The medical board had to find out the girl’s age and detect whether she was a virgin or was subjected to sexual assault.

The Police Services Hospital staff conducted a medical examination of the girl and declared that the girl was nine years old and had been sexually assaulted. Some officials said the medical examina­tion suggested that the girl’s age mentioned as 13 in an earlier report by a lady medical officer in Swat was wrong.
Source: Daily Times
Date:8/3/2007