French National and Children Rescued in Pakistan
Police in Pakistan have successfully rescued a French national and her five children who were allegedly held captive and subjected to abuse by her husband for more than ten years. The husband has since been apprehended by authorities.
Details of the Rescue Operation
Sylvie Yasmina, the French woman, informed local police that her husband subjected her and their children to daily physical and mental abuse, describing him as “very violent.” The rescue operation was initiated after one of their sons managed to escape and report the situation to the police. This led to a raid on their residence in Bara, a remote town situated in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Upon entering the home, police discovered Yasmina and her five children confined to a small, “extremely dilapidated room.” They observed bruises across the bodies of the family members. Yasmina and her children have since been relocated to a women's shelter in Peshawar, with plans to return to France.
Allegations of Long-Term Imprisonment
According to Yasmina, 54, her husband had effectively imprisoned the family since their relocation from Australia to Pakistan in 2014. A senior police officer stated that Yasmina was not permitted to interact with anyone, and their two elder children had missed out on their education. Furthermore, their three younger children, born in Pakistan, had never been enrolled in school.
"We were deprived [of our] freedom, my husband didn't take care of us the way he should as a husband and the father of my children. He beats us and put pressure on our lives on a daily basis," Yasmina's statement to the police read, parts of which have been published by local media. "I felt that my future was already ruined, the future of the children would also be ruined."
Authorities have not publicly identified the husband, a Pakistani national. Police indicate that the couple met while he was reportedly residing illegally in Australia. They married in 2003 and lived in Australia until their move to Pakistan in 2014 with their two eldest children. Yasmina claims she had no contact with the outside world following their move.
Source: French woman allegedly held captive by husband for 12 years rescued in Pakistan