A 12-year-old domestic help died in Lahore’s Gulberg neighbourhood following alleged torture by her employers.
The victim, identified as Kaneez Fatima, had been employed for one month at the residence of one Sufi Ejaz.
Police registered a murder case based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father, Javed, who stated that the homeowners had tortured and killed his daughter.
According to the FIR [First Information Report], Javed received a phone call from the homeowner’s daughter-in-law, telling him to travel immediately from Faisalabad to Lahore.
Javed arrived at the Gulab Devi Hospital along with his wife and brother where doctors informed them that Fatima had been dead for approximately two and a half hours before her arrival at the hospital.
Police have shifted the body for post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death while officials stated that investigators were gathering evidence to determine the sequence of events leading to the death.
In a separate case last month, an 18-year-old domestic worker died during a forced abortion procedure at a hospital in Lahore following months of being subjected to sexual assault.
The victim had been employed at a residence located in Model Town, and in a video statement, accused the homeowner’s son and driver of rape. Investigators noted that the victim later altered her account, naming only the driver as the accused.
She passed away at Lahore’s Services Hospital, two days into treatment.
