Two men convicted of gang-raping a French tourist on a motorway in Pakistan in front of her three children have been pictured after losing their final appeal against the death penalty.
Conviction and Appeal
Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali were found guilty of gang rape, kidnapping, robbery, and terrorism offences in March 2021 for the attack on the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway. Both were handed the death penalty. Their defence argued there were gaps in the prosecution's case and that the judge's decision was unjust. However, on Wednesday, two judges dismissed the appeal, with the prosecution presenting overwhelming evidence, according to the Pakistani news outlet Dawn.
The Attack
The incident occurred on September 9, 2020, when the woman and her three children became stranded on the motorway after running out of fuel. She locked the car doors while waiting for help, but the attackers broke a window, dragged her out, and raped her at gunpoint in front of her terrified children. They also stole money, jewellery, and bank cards before fleeing.
Investigation and Trial
Police tracked the men using mobile phone data and arrested them days later. DNA samples from the crime scene matched theirs. The survivor identified the two men during a hearing, and Ali confessed before a magistrate. An anti-terrorism court handled the trial for expediency.
Public Reaction and Victim-Blaming
The case sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with some activists demanding public hangings. It also led to mass protests across Pakistan after a senior police official, Umer Sheikh, implied the woman was partly to blame for being out late alone. His remarks were widely criticised for victim-blaming.
Death Penalty Context
The decision to uphold the death penalty comes after human rights activists urged harsher penalties for rapists. While sexual abuse against Pakistani women is common, crimes against foreigners are rare. Many Pakistani women do not report such incidents due to stigma and flaws in the legal system. Pakistan is among the world's most frequent users of the death penalty, with executions carried out by hanging.
