According to Italian prosecutors Reggio Emilia, it is now certain that 18-year-old Saman Abbas was murdered by her relatives in late April because she did not want to marry, by “forced marriage”, a cousin of hers in Pakistan.
The girl had immigrated to Italy with her family in 2016, and her performance at school was impressive.
There are two main elements on which the judges base their tragic finding. The first is a video from security cameras, which shows Shaman’s uncle, on April 29, holding a metal shovel and heading behind the farmhouse where the whole family lived. He is followed by two cousins of the girl. According to the investigators, after a few minutes they dug the pit in which they buried the girl’s body.
According to Italian media, Saman’s 16-year-old brother testified that their uncle strangled Saman Abbas, following an order from their parents. In early May, the whole family left Italy and returned to Pakistan.
Shaman had left home several times and had taken refuge in a special community that protects girls who are victims of domestic violence. She made the mistake, however, of returning to her paternal home, hoping she could get her ID to take a driving test.
She was killed without hesitation because – as her mother allegedly said on the phone – “it was the only possible solution”. Just because 18-year-old Shaman had met a Pakistani peer living in Italy and wanted to build her life freely, without a pre-arranged, forced marriage.
