The family of a mentally challenged Christian woman, who was raped in May, now faces unbearable social and financial hardships in their pursuit of justice. Her elder brother was forced to flee their village due to threats from local men who have turned against the family, treating them as enemies.
Despite multiple arrests, the police have failed to apprehend the actual rapist. The primary suspect, who confessed to the crime at the police station, was released by the court due to a lack of evidence.
In response, the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) stepped in to provide financial assistance to the family, who lost their jobs following the traumatic event.
On the 13th of May, a horrific act of violence took place in Hal Patiala Dost Muhammad, Muridke, where an unknown assailant broke into the home of 35-year-old Asma Bibi, a mentally challenged Christian woman (click here). Asma, who has been mentally impaired since childhood and is unable to walk or speak, was alone in the house at the time. The attacker gained access via the roof stairs and brutally raped her while her brother, Nasir Iqbal Masih (30), and his wife, Sheeza Nasir (22), were away at work, having locked the house from the outside.
Upon returning home around 11:30 am, Sheeza Nasir discovered Asma’s clothes soaked in blood while cleaning the house after finishing her work for a Muslim family. Asma, unable to speak, gestured that someone had come down the stairs and assaulted her. Alarmed, Sheeza immediately called her husband, Nasir Masih, who works as a cleaner at Zafar Arcade, a private market plaza. Nasir rushed home, and Sheeza explained what had happened.
The Station House Officer wasted no time and summoned both the forensic and medical teams to conduct thorough investigations. The forensic experts meticulously collected Asma Bibi’s blood-soaked clothes and the bedsheet as crucial pieces of evidence. Subsequently, the police formally registered a First Information Report (FIR) under section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the unidentified perpetrator, bearing FIR No. 811/24.
The police initially arrested 13 suspects, among whom Muhammad Shahbaz confessed during interrogation to having raped Asma. After a formal investigation, the police released the other suspects and sent a semen sample from Muhammad Shahbaz for DNA testing. Shahbaz was then remanded to Sheikhupura Jail, and the case was brought to trial at the Tehsil Court in Ferozewala.
The family’s fear and anxiety intensified when, in the first week of September, the Tehsil Court Ferozewala acquitted Muhammad Shahbaz on the grounds that his DNA did not match the semen found on Asma Bibi’s clothing from the 13th of May.
Following Shahbaz’s release, the police resumed arrests of additional suspects from Nasir Masih’s neighborhood. On the 12th of September, Nasir Masih informed our officers of the ongoing challenges, including the police’s continued arrest and subsequent release of men from the village, causing the family great distress.
“No culprit has been identified yet,” Nasir Iqbal Masih shared, speaking to BACA at length about the hardships he’s facing in his pursuit of justice for his innocent sister. “The villagers whose men are being arrested treat us like enemies and want revenge. The situation has gotten worse, and my brother has advised me to leave the village because I am the complainant.”
Nasir explained that the hostility from the villagers has only increased since the police resumed arrests, and some have even approached him, urging him to forgive and drop the case. Despite the pressure, Nasir remains determined to seek justice, no matter the cost.
With tears in his eyes, Mr Masih told BACA, ‘Life was much better before the incident.’” Due to the growing pressure from the villagers, Mr Masih, his wife, and their young son have been moved to a safe house in a neighbouring town for which BACA is covering all expenses for the last 4 months. Mr Masih has lost his job due to frequent trips to the court and police station, and his wife has also lost her job. Mr Masih shared, “I sometimes have to borrow money just to buy milk for my toddler son.”
On the 14th of September, the BACA team visited Mr. Masih’s family and provided financial assistance to help them buy essential groceries. Nasir has requested ongoing financial and legal support from BACA. BACA acknowledges the slow pace and regrettable lack of urgency in the investigation. They are acutely aware that the family will not receive justice without proper legal representation.
To achieve this, BACA needs to raise £1,500 to cover the fees for an advocate. We are renewing this appeal, and you can donate (here). Additionally, we will need continued support to cover the costs of a safe house for the family and to meet their ongoing grocery needs.
Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee for British Asian Christian Association, said:
“I am absolutely disgusted by the threats this innocent family has had to endure, and the distressing, laissez-faire attitude of the police in their so-called investigation. It is appalling that instead of seeking justice, the police seem to be waiting for the family to be pressured into accepting a bribe under the infamous Qisas and Diyat laws of Pakistan—laws that allow rapists and murderers to escape justice by offering compensation payments. These outdated and barbaric Sharia laws make a complete mockery of Pakistan’s justice system, providing impunity to the worst criminals. This family desperately needs an advocate to fight for their rights, or justice will remain elusive.”
