An Italian court in Reggio Emilia has sentenced a Pakistani couple to two years and 15 days in prison for subjecting their 22-year-old daughter to physical abuse and attempting to force her into an arranged marriage.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, the case involves a 54-year-old father and a 51-year-old mother who coerced their daughter into an engagement with her cousin in Pakistan and forced her to undergo an abortion.
The victim reported her parents to the Carabinieri after years of domestic mistreatment.
Police details reveal that the woman rebelled against her family following routine confinement and physical assault.
The woman stated that her parents locked her in the basement at night and confiscated her mobile phone to cut off external communication. The parents regularly slapped her, forced her to kneel, and beat her, including smashing her face against the floor.
Following the domestic abuse, the parents forced the victim to travel to Pakistan under threats to secure her compliance for the marriage proposal.
The situation escalated when the parents discovered the girl was impregnated by a boyfriend whom they deemed unsuitable. To terminate the pregnancy, the parents punched the victim in the abdomen and back, forcing her to undergo an abortion.
The legal proceedings concluded with the court handing down the prison sentences for mistreatment and the attempt to finalize the forced marriage.
