Italian Court Finds Father Guilty in Honor Killing Case
In a landmark ruling, an Italian court has found the father of Sana Cheema Abbas guilty in the high-profile honor killing case. The verdict, handed down at a court of first instance, can still be appealed, but marks a significant moment in the tragic case that has captivated the nation.
The father, who had been extradited to Italy in August to face trial after he was arrested in his village in eastern Pakistan on suspicion of murder, wept and protested his innocence in testimony given to the court on Tuesday. “This trial is not complete. I too want to know who killed my daughter,” he said, according to local media reports.
Sana Cheema Abbas’ killing is one of a string of high-profile criminal cases in Italy involving the murder or mistreatment of women or girls who have rebelled against relatives insisting they enter arranged marriages. In the wake of her disappearance, Italy’s union of Islamic communities issued a religious ruling rejecting forced marriages.
The teenager had emigrated to Italy with her family from Pakistan in 2016 and had since become a symbol of violence against women in the country.
Prosecutors revealed that Ms. Abbas’ parents were angered when they discovered she had a boyfriend of Pakistani origin. They wanted her to travel to Pakistan for an arranged marriage in 2020, but she refused, leading to a heated dispute and Ms. Abbas living for several months under the protection of social services.
She returned to the family home in April 2021 after receiving messages from relatives, and prosecutors believe she was tricked into going back and disappeared afterwards. Her parents later alleged that she was killed when she returned to the family home to collect some documents.
The guilty verdict in this case sends a powerful message about the importance of justice and the fight against honor killings in Italy. It is a significant step towards holding perpetrators accountable and seeking justice for victims of senseless violence.