Pakistani Court Upholds Death Sentences for Gang Rape of French Tourist
A Pakistani court has upheld the death sentences of two men convicted of sexually assaulting a French woman in front of her children in 2020. The Lahore High Court dismissed the appeals of Abid Ali Malhi and Shadqat Ali Bagga, confirming the trial court's verdict.
Details of the Attack
The 32-year-old victim, a French national of Pakistani origin, was traveling with her three children on the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway in September 2020 when her car ran out of gas. Stranded after midnight, she called relatives for help and was advised to contact motorway emergency numbers. While waiting, the men broke the car windows, dragged her and her children out, and sexually assaulted her. They also robbed her of money, jewelry, and bank cards before fleeing.
Legal Proceedings
The men were sentenced to death in March 2021 but appealed, arguing gaps in the prosecution's case. However, on Wednesday, justices Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Tariq Mehmood Bajwa rejected their plea, citing overwhelming evidence. A court official stated, "The Lahore High Court today dismissed the appeals of the two men convicted in the infamous rape case of the French woman... and upheld the trial court’s verdict of awarding them death sentences." The victim identified the attackers, and DNA evidence matched the rapists. One of the men confessed before a magistrate.
Public Outrage and Legal Reforms
The case sparked widespread outrage in Pakistan, with protests demanding justice and better protection for women. The public was further angered when Lahore's police chief, Umer Sheikh, suggested the woman was partly to blame for traveling alone at night without male protection. In response, Pakistan enacted a new anti-rape law establishing faster trials in special courts and imposing tougher sentences.
