Italy jails Pakistani couple for abusing daughter

A PAKISTANI couple living in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia have been sentenced to two years in prison for forcing their 22-year-old daughter to abort and coercing her into marrying her cousin in Pakistan, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The case echoes the tragic tale of Saman Abbas, a young woman murdered by her family for refusing an arranged marriage in Pakistan. The young woman, who was not identified, reportedly rebelled and reported her parents to the Carabinieri (Italian police) after years of abuse. The victim was said to have been locked in the basement at night, deprived of her cell phone, slapped, forced to kneel, and beaten with her face smashed against the floor. She was subsequently forced to go to Pakistan and threatened if she didn’t agree to an engagement and marriage to a cousin. Finally, when it was discovered that she had become pregnant by a young boyfriend whom her family deemed unsuitable, she was punched in the abdomen and back and forced to have an abortion. Her parents, aged 54 and 51, were sentenced to two years and 15 days for mistreatment and attempted forced marriage. Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026