Additional Coverage:
Two men in Pakistan have been sentenced to death for the gang rape of a French tourist who was stranded on a highway in 2020.
Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali were convicted in March 2021 on multiple charges, including gang rape, kidnapping, robbery, and terrorism, for the attack that took place on the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway-a key 64-mile route connecting Lahore and Sialkot in Punjab.
The defendants appealed their convictions, arguing that the prosecution’s case contained inconsistencies and that the court’s ruling was too harsh, according to Dawn, an English-language news outlet based in Pakistan. However, on Wednesday, a panel of two judges rejected their appeal, citing overwhelming evidence presented by prosecutors.
The incident occurred in September 2020 when the victim, traveling with her three children, ran out of gas and became stranded. She reportedly locked herself inside the vehicle while waiting for assistance, but Malhi and Ali broke a window and forcibly dragged her out at gunpoint in front of her children. They then assaulted her and stole money, jewelry, and bank cards before fleeing the scene.
Authorities tracked down the suspects through phone data and confirmed their involvement with DNA evidence collected at the crime scene. The victim positively identified both men in court, and Ali reportedly confessed to the attack during a judicial hearing.
The brutal assault sparked widespread outrage across Pakistan, igniting protests and renewed calls for tougher legal penalties for such crimes. The case also drew criticism of certain officials; one Lahore police officer faced backlash after suggesting the victim was partly to blame for not choosing a busier road, remarks that were widely condemned on social media for victim-blaming.