FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jeremy Sewall, Advocacy Director
1-800-422-5441, jeremy@www.persecution.org
Pakistan Court Orders Police to Arrest Rapist
Police Ignored Christian Father’s Cries for Justice against His Daughter’s Rapist
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 15, 2009) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a local court in Pakistan has finally ordered police to apprehend the suspected rapist of a Christian girl five months after the crime occurred.
On November 6, 2008, the son of a rich Muslim doctor raped the daughter of one of his Christian tenants at gunpoint in a small village outside of Sargodha, Pakistan. The girl’s father, Ashraf Masih, immediately filed a case against Najjam, a 22-year-old Muslim man. The Saddr Police Station registered the case but took no action.
Ashraf, who went into hiding to protect his family from further threats, finally went to the local court after seeing that the police would not do anything. On April 9, the Sessions Court of Sargodha heard Ashraf’s case and issued an order to the ranking officer of the Saddr Police Station to arrest Najjam and bring him to the court by April 18, 2009.
Jeremy Sewall, ICC’s Advocacy Director, said, “Although this is a court victory, please pray that the police will actually follow through with the arrest order. The victim of a rape should not have to hide for five months from her rapist. Unfortunately for Christians in Pakistan, this kind of story is far too common.”
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ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.
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