In a shocking case from Pakistan, authorities have apprehended a man accused of holding his wife and children captive for over ten years, subjecting them to severe physical and psychological abuse.
The victim, Sylvie Yasmina, a French citizen, reported that her husband was “extremely violent” and assaulted the family “on a daily basis,” according to local police speaking to BBC Urdu.
The situation came to light when one of their sons managed to escape and alert the police, prompting a raid on their residence in Bara, a remote area in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Upon arrival, officers discovered Yasmina and her five children confined in a small, “extremely dilapidated room,” displaying numerous bruises across their bodies.
Following the rescue, Yasmina and her children have been relocated to a women’s shelter in Peshawar, where they are expected to plan their return to France.
Yasmina, 54, stated that her husband had effectively kept the family imprisoned since relocating from Australia to Pakistan in 2014.
”I was not allowed to meet anyone, our two older children missed out on their education, and the three younger ones were born in Pakistan without ever being enrolled in school,” a senior police official relayed to BBC Urdu.
Authorities have not disclosed the identity of Yasmina’s husband, a Pakistani national who reportedly lived illegally in Australia when he and Yasmina first met.
The couple married in 2003 and lived in Australia until their move to Pakistan with their two older children.
Yasmina claims she has had no contact with the outside world since that time.
In her statement to the police, parts of which have been shared by local media, Yasmina expressed despair: “We were deprived of our freedom.
My husband did not fulfill his responsibilities as a spouse or father. He beat us and created immense pressure on our lives every day.”
She added, “I felt that my future was already ruined, and my children’s futures would also be lost.”
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong