Pakistan: Girl raped for 21 days by policemen

Pakistan: A 13 year old girl was raped for 21 days by policemen; the ineptness of the courts provide protection to perpetrators

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from The News International about a revolting story of a 13 year-old girl, who was continuously gang-raped, mentally, and physically tortured by police officials during 21 days of illegal detention. After finding that she was pregnant, the policemen produced her before a Session court under false charges. The girl was sent to jail where she was finally released on bail. The judge who heard her case was unable to investigate the perpetrators, as they obtained a “stay order” from the Lahore High Court, which prevents any police action against them. Their barbarian crimes thus remain unpunished.

The Asian Human Rights Commission is appalled by the High Court’s denial of justice. Pakistani laws recognize rape as a particularly heinous crime and do not allow bail without proper investigation. We urge the Pakistan government to prosecute the perpetrators of gang-rape and hold them accountable under the law. The High Court’s decision, an obvious miscarriage of justice, must also be investigated. The government must act swiftly to efficiently protect the victim and her family and provide them with justice and compensation. The failure of the rule of law and ineptness of courts in Pakistan allow the continuity of such heinous crimes that are condemned by the country’s laws and all international standards yet remain unpunished, cementing the impunity of those that victim calls “wolves in uniforms”.

Following is the report published in The News International;

The report of gang rape in the detention was reported by The News International , says that 13 year old school girl of class-VII student Natasha, daughter of a stone crusher Muhammad Aslam, approached the Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) of Taxila, Punjab province, Mr. Rao Abdul Jabbar Khan and narrated to him her mental and physical torture in detention. She also told him that she was raped for 21 days by the policemen during her detention and she was pregnant.

After recording her statement, the judge ordered Natasha’s medical examination and directed the chief police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi district, Punjab, to register a case against the accused policemen, and complete investigation within 14 days. Police authorities have failed to act against the accused policemen despite the passage of one month. The RPO says the accused obtained a “stay order” from the high court to pre-empt police action, so he is waiting for the day when the court vacates that order.

According to the information gathered by The News, Natasha is a resident of village Labb Thathu, Tehsil Taxila, Punjab province. Afsar, a close relative of her father Aslam, was killed on January 24, 2010, and an FIR was registered against Aslam’s wife Azhar Bibi.

Taxila police picked up Natasha and her brother Yawar Saeed, 18, when policemen failed to arrest their mother, whose whereabouts are still unknown. According to her on-oath statement before the judge, Natasha said the police kept her in a room for 21 days on the premises of the Wah Cantt Police Station, where different police officials, one of them identified as Sub-Inspector Mohammad Mumtaz, made a plaything of her; they would rape her daily at their will, force her to drink alcohol, dance naked, and change their uniforms before her.

These police officials, sensing that she had become pregnant, booked her for the murder on January 24, 2010, and produced her before the court which sent her to the Adiala Jail on judicial remand from where she was released on bail.

On getting initial information, The News approached the victim at her home in village Labb Thathu. The poor victim was still unsure of her surroundings and her father, too poor to even think of taking any steps other than harming himself and his children, seemed to have gone numb with persistent mental trauma.

“They would repeat this (rape) on me every night. And it was only after three weeks when I started feeling sick, and they took me to a court which sent me to the (Adiala) jail, a notorious jail of Punjab province. A kind lady constable, who had noticed my condition, told me to tell the truth to the judge in the court but I was too afraid. Somehow, after two days of my release on bail, I gathered courage and chose to tell the court all that had happened to me at the police station,” said Natasha with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“They ruined my life. I don’t want to go to school because the students and staff there know about what has happened to me. It’s too humiliating. What would become of me and my sister? Would the chief justice (of the Supreme Court of Pakistan) take notice of what has happened to me and punish those ‘wolves’ in uniforms?” Natasha asked.

When contacted, Natasha’s counsel advocate Farhana Qamar said that it had been proved by the medical examination of the minor girl that she had been gang-raped. But, she added, the RPO (Regional Police Officer) Rawalpindi was still reluctant to act against the accused policemen.

When contacted, CPO Rao Iqbal told The News that an inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the facts in the case. He said that it was a heinous crime and if the allegations levelled by the girl were proved correct, strict action would be taken against those guilty of crime.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Aslam Tareen told The News that Natasha moved the court of the ASJ Taxila on April 17, 2010 after her release from jail on bail on April 15.

He said her medical check-up had already been conducted before sending her to jail under the law. Answering a question about the police inaction despite the ASJ’s orders, the RPO said accused sub-inspector Mohammad Mimtaz filed a petition before the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court against the ASJ’s orders and the court granted him “stay” to pre-empt registration of an FIR against the accused till the decision of the petition.

The RPO said the first hearing of the stay order was held on May 13, while the second hearing was due during this week. He said the case would be registered if the court vacated the stay order.

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

ENDS

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