Pakistani Religious Elders Order The Killing of Teenage Rape Victim For Losing Her Virginity Before Marriage

A family in Pakistan is living in poverty and avoiding neighbors calling for their deaths. Their offense? The oldest daughter was raped and the family did not kill her as demanded as a matter of honor. Unlike hundreds of such girls killed in honor killings each year, Kainat Soomro, 17, is being supported by her family and refuses to back down in demanding justice for her kidnapping and gang rape.

Soomro was kidnapped in Mehar, Pakistan and held for days as she was gang raped. After she escaped, she and her father went to police who allegedly refused to act. In the meantime, the family was told by religious elders to kill the girl.

They declared her kari (or “black female”) for losing her virginity outside marriage.

The local court has ruled against her due to the lack of independent evidence. However, the lack of evidence is reportedly due to the police failing to investigate. Her case is again focusing on the abuses of these religious edicts in Pakistan and the mistreatment of girls under radical Islamic principles.

Source: The Atlantic