Teenage rape victim from Balkh seeks justice

KABUL (Pajhwok): An 18-year-old girl, who claims to be sexually assaulted by a district police chief and three other armed men in northern Balkh province, has asked President Ashraf Ghani to provide her justice or she would burn herself.

The victim named as Maryam arrived in capital Kabul four days ago. She told Pajhwok Afghan News an armed man entered their house at night and threatened her with death.

“It was night and the month of Ramazan. I was sleep at home. My father had gone to Mazar-i-Sharif for treatment of my younger brother. My another bother and a sister were sleeping in our room. I saw one armed man standing close to my bed and he warned me of death if I shouted. He took me with him by force.”

He took her to another house where two other armed men were present and they raped her, recalled Maryam.

She said after the incident her father took her to the district police station to register the incident.  “My father shared the story with Commander Akram, the district police chief. He forced my father out of his office to talk to me and sexually assaulted me.”

The district police chief threatened her against complaining to her parents otherwise he would take her to a women safe house and she would be separated from family.

The police chief of Zari district and other high provincial officials could not be reached for comment.

nh/ma

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