'I don't want to accept peace offer,' mother of teenage victim tells civil judge

ISLAMABAD: The mother of the 14-year-old victim who suffered from severe torture at the hands of Civil Judge Asim Hafeez's wife refused to accept the peace offer from the family, saying that she wants justice for her daughter. 

A case was registered against the judge's wife by Islamabad police today for allegedly subjecting a teenager, employed as a domestic help at their house, to severe torture.

The harrowing case of the girl being brutally beaten up regularly came to light when the victim was shifted to a hospital in Lahore with serious injuries, with the family accusing Judge Hafeez’s wife, Somia, of torturing the child.

Following the case, the mother of the teenage girl claimed that the civil judge had contacted her and offered to make peace.

"The judge also offered to pay the entire cost of her daughter's treatment and give extra money. However, I told him that I want justice," she said.

"I told him that he should do justice in this case just like he does in the courts," said the mother, adding that they don't want to make peace as their daughter's condition is very critical.

The case has been registered at Police Station Humak on behalf of the girl's father, Manga Khan.

The complainant in the First Information Report (FIR) said he sent his daughter to work as a domestic help on a Rs10,000 monthly salary, with the reference of an acquaintance named Chaudhry Mukhtar, seven months ago.

The girl's parents came to know about her being subjected to torture at the judge's house on Monday (July 23) when they went to meet her.

It may be noted that the victim's parents have said that they hadn't met her during these seven months but talked to her on the phone sometimes.

"When we [complainant, his wife and her brother] entered the gate, we heard my daughter crying. Hearing that made me concerned so we went towards the room and found my daughter in wounded condition [...]," the complainant stated in the FIR.

He alleged that his daughter was subjected to severe torture by the judge’s wife, and there were torture marks all over the child’s body.

Upon examining her condition, the parents found several injuries on the girl's entire body, with serious wounds on the head, which were "infested with maggots".

The major injuries described by the complainant include swelling on lips and eyes, broken teeth, and ribs and strangling marks on the neck.

As per the FIR, the complainant has accused Somia of torturing and keeping his daughter in illegal custody since the day she started working at the judge's house and sought action on the matter.

Meanwhile, Islamabad police said that action is being taken for the arrest of the suspect.

They said that the case investigation would be done on merit and that all requirements of justice would be fulfilled.

Civil judge brushes aside allegations

Earlier today, speaking to Geo News, the judge had brushed aside the accusations, saying that the wounds on the girl's body were a result of eating soil from the planters kept in his house.

"The girl was a house help at our home. She ate soil from the planters a month ago, which damaged her skin," the judge had said.

He had said that he had got the diagnosis of the "skin condition" and treatment done from a doctor in Gujranwala, but the girl would pick and scratch her wounds after her skin started healing.

On the wound on her head, Hafeez had claimed that when they told the girl they would be dropping off the child back to her home, she banged her head on a wall.

He had also said that he didn't know about the condition of the wounds on the girl's head as she kept her head covered with a scarf.

"The girl used to tell us that if she went back, her mother would beat her so she did not want to go home but we left her there," Hafeez added.

"I am against physical abuse and torture incidents never happened in front of me,” claimed the judge.

Hafeez had said Somia had told him the girl didn't work, so they left her with her parents in their house in Sargodha.

“My wife along with the driver dropped off the girl at her home in Sargodha,” said Hafeez claiming that the mother started beating the child in front of his wife as she dropped her off.

On the accusation of stealing jewellery, the judge had contested that his wife complained to him about not finding her jewellery but “did not” accuse the child of stealing.

He had said he was going to Lahore, where the girl was undergoing treatment, and he wanted her to get well soon.