A French woman and her five children have been rescued by Pakistan police after she alleged that she was held captive by her husband for more than a decade and subjected to years of physical and psychological abuse in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.According to news agency the Associated Press (AP), 54-year-old Sylvie Yasmina was rescued earlier this week from a mud-brick house in Bara, a town near the Afghanistan border. District police chief Waqar Ahmad said her husband, Ahmad Khan, has been arrested and an investigation is underway.Police said the rescue followed a desperate attempt by one of Yasmina’s sons, who managed to leave the house and reach a nearby police station to seek help.
Family allegedly confined since 2014
Yasmina told investigators that she had been unable to live freely since moving to Pakistan in 2014.According to BBC, she alleged that her husband had “effectively imprisoned” the family after they moved from Australia to Pakistan.The couple married in 2003 and lived in Australia until 2014 before relocating to Pakistan with their two older children, BBC reported.A senior police official told BBC Urdu that Yasmina alleged she was not allowed to meet anyone outside the family, while her two older children missed their education and the three younger children born in Pakistan were never enrolled in school.Police said Yasmina and her children were found living in a cramped and “extremely dilapidated room”.As per AP, she had visible injuries on her face, while authorities found bruises on the family members’ bodies.
Woman seeks return to France
Following the rescue, Yasmina and her children were shifted to a women’s police station and later taken to a shelter in Peshawar for protection.Police said Yasmina expressed a desire to return to France, and authorities are coordinating with relevant officials and the French embassy regarding their repatriation. There was no immediate comment from the French embassy, according to AP.In a video recorded by police and shared with the media, Yasmina thanked officers for rescuing her and repeated her wish to return to France.In her statement to police, parts of which were published by local media, Yasmina alleged that her husband abused the family physically and mentally on a daily basis.“We were deprived [of our] freedom, my husband didn’t take care of us the way he should as a husband and the father of my children. He beats us and put pressure on our lives on a daily basis,” she said.“I felt that my future was already ruined, the future of the children would also be ruined,” she added.
Domestic violence concerns in Pakistan
The case has renewed attention on domestic violence and the challenges faced by women in Pakistan.Human rights groups say hundreds of women report physical and psychological abuse by husbands and family members every year, although many cases remain unreported.Shabina Ayaz, director of rights group Aurat Foundation, condemned the alleged treatment of Yasmina and called for support from Pakistani authorities and the French embassy.She said the case should serve as a “wake-up call” for authorities and society.
