Two men have been sentenced to death after a woman was gang raped when she ran out of fuel on a motorway with her three children. The attack occurred in September 2020 near Lahore, Pakistan.
Details of the attack
A court heard that the victim was driving on a motorway when her vehicle ran out of fuel and she became stranded. Two armed men approached, smashed the window, and dragged the woman and her children out. They were taken to a nearby field where the woman was gang raped while her children were threatened at gunpoint. The men also stole money, bank cards and jewellery before fleeing.
Investigation and sentencing
The attackers were arrested following a lengthy investigation involving the Crime Investigation Agency, Punjab Forensic Science Agency and other law enforcement agencies. In March 2021, Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali Bagga were convicted under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act. They were sentenced to death for rape, along with life imprisonment and other punishments for related offences including abduction and robbery.
Appeal rejected
Malhi and Ali Bagga appealed, but Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa rejected both appeals. The High Court noted the traumatic nature of the crime and dismissed defence arguments that the convictions were based on unreliable evidence. The prosecution maintained that the victim's testimony remained consistent and was supported by medical examinations, DNA analysis and forensic reports.
Dismissing the appeals, the judge said: "In these circumstances, any undue leniency would amount to misplaced sympathy, diminish the deterrent effect of the law, and undermine public confidence in the administration of justice."
