A BPCA supported victim has won her court case against the rapist of her then 2 1/2 year old daughter Saiba who suffered trauma and physical damage that may leave the poor child unable to give birth and have her own family one day. In a landmark case today the rapist of the Christian child has been sentenced to 25 years in prison and a fine amounting to £967. To see our initial report (click here)
In a nation like Pakistan where honour is a pivotal structure the rape of two year old Saiba on 17th December 2016 sent shockwaves across the globe. Saiba an innocent girl of only two years was brutally raped by Mohammad Abbas who was a Muslim friend of her eldest brother Altaf Masih’s (19 yrs) after the rapist sent out the 10 year old brother Daud (11 yrs) who was caring for her on an errand to buy him some cigarettes. Cigarettes that he gleefully smoked as he left the home of Saiba after finally opening the door to Daud on completion of his attack. (Click here) for the initial article.
Catherine and Saiba outside Chistian Court
Daud was kept outside his home for the duration of the attack and has talked with the BPCA about the trauma he felt as he could hear his sister crying and screaming inside his home on return from the shops, he said:
“When Abbas bhai came to my home I was pleased to see him, he was my brothers friend after all. He asked me to buy him some cigarettes from the local store and I duly obliged him because he was my elder.
“When I returned home the front door was locked and I could hear Saiba crying and screaming louder then I have ever heard her scream before. I knew there was a problem and banged loudly on the door but no-one was opening the door for me.
“I first thought that she was fearful of being alone and had been left in the house alone while Abbas Bhai had gone back to work or something, because I had taken some time to return from the shops.
“I called out to her to comfort and let her know I was there, but she just continued screaming then I heard other strange noises and realised someone else was in the house.
“I did not know what to do so just waited outside and then the door to my home suddenly swung open. Abbas Bhai came out took the cigarettes gave me an eerie smile and then lit a cigarette and ran away from our home.
“When I entered the home I realised something bad had happened. Saiba was naked, covered in blood and would not stop screaming. I picked her up to see if she had a severe wound but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. I hugged and comforted her while I waited for my mum.
“When my mum came minutes later she cleaned the blood off Saiba’s naked body and wrapped her in a towel. We both hugged her to bring some peace to her.”
Despite the panic and distress that consumed her Catherine the mother of Saiba took her immediately to District Headquarters Hospital in Bhawalpur Chistia for treatment.
The hospital provided immediate assistance to the screaming and distressed child and sadly warned the parents that the likelihood of Saiba being able to reproduce was massively limited as a consequence of the physical damage she had suffered to her reproductive organs. To read more about their concerns (click here)
Catherine after attending hospital with BPCA’s officer Grace
In a shocking result today (8th June 2018) at Chistia Session Court, Additional Session Judge Rana Tariq Mehmood Anjum gave orders for the imprisonment of Rapist Mohammad Abbas for the total of 25 years. He also ordered that a fine be imposed of 150,000 rupees (£967). The case was undertaken by our partner the Organization for Legal Aid.
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said:
“In a highly unusual case of justice for Christians today the rapist of a 2 year old child has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Christians are a highly vulnerable and regularly persecuted body of people in Pakistan and justice is hard to come buy as families are either forced to accept a bribe under duress in exchange for an acquittal of perpetrators or face another family member being attacked or killed.
“The opportunity for bribes of this nature are maintained in Pakistan’s infamous Qisas and Diyas laws which compose the Sharia element of the nations twisted judicial system.
“This victory is one that sets a new precedent it proves that Christians who are willing to fight for justice can achieve it even in the broken nation of Pakistan, and though Saiba is one of the few successful victims, BPCA will use the experience learnt from her battle to help many other future victims.”
BPCA has been supporting the family financially and has paid for several follow-up operations for both Saiba and her mother through a kindly donor based in New Zealand. During the most recent care provided to Catherine Bibi (35 years) that included a 5 day operation providing an abdominal hernia plastic and mesh repair due to her 7 C -section for giving birth in February 2018, a long-running painful condition has finally been removed. Dr Khalid Mahmood of Farooq Hospital in Lahore has said that Catherine responded well to treatment and will need no further treatment. He has also provided a very positive response with regards to the potential for Saiba to give birth one day stating that with some professional surgery when she reaches her teenage years she should hopefully be able to regain her ability to deliver a child.
Saiba and her family have all been extremely brave and their trust in God has brought great dividend. The family are all devout Christians and have had the support of their local church and 24 hour access to BPCA support staff.
In the case of Catherine and Saiba during a time of significant threat to their family we were able to place them in a safe house for three months. We also covered medical costs and financial support that allowed the family to fight their case effectively despite the huge investment in time it took to finally get justice.
None of this could have happened without the help and support of our donors and we thank you making this possible. If you have been moved by today’s result and wnat to help with the work of the BPCA you can donate to us by clicking (here)
BPCA officer Usman Liaquat with Catherine and her family.
