Parents of 22-year-old woman in Reggio Emilia convicted of abuse and forced marriage
A court in the Reggio Emilia lowlands has handed down a sentence against a Pakistani couple for years of abuse of their 22-year-old daughter, culminating in an attempt to force her into an arranged marriage.
Parents of 22-year-old woman in Reggio Emilia convicted of abuse and forced marriage
A judge at Reggio Emilia's court has imposed a sentence of two years and 15 days on two Pakistani spouses, aged 54 and 51, for maltreating and attempting to force their daughter into an arranged marriage.
The assaults are said to have begun in 2017 and only ended in 2023. Throughout this period, the young woman was systematically beaten, locked in a basement during the night hours, and deprived of her mobile phone to cut her off from all contact. The reason was a romantic relationship of which her parents disapproved.
A particularly serious incident occurred in December 2022, when the girl became pregnant. The two are alleged to have struck their daughter repeatedly on the abdomen and back, forcing her to have an abortion. The intimidation involved threats that, should she refuse, the termination would be carried out in Pakistan and that the young woman would be removed from the family if she chose to keep the child.
The victim found the courage to approach the military personnel from Boretto station and from the Guastalla company, subsequently collaborating actively with the magistrate and with district prosecutor Calogero Gaetano Paci. Following her testimonies, a judge issued a restraining order, noting that the conduct of the two stemmed from a "despotic and chauvinist" mentality, in open contrast with the fundamental freedoms recognised in Italy.
In the first months of 2023, the couple allegedly threatened their daughter that she would not be allowed to return to her homeland if she did not agree to become engaged to a relative. Subsequently, they allegedly imposed other suitors on her, arranging forced meetings. The girl's decision to report the facts to the authorities put an end to the regime of oppression.
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca