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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| 107 women burnt in last 7 months: report |
| 2005-08-03 |
| LAHORE: Over 100 women were burnt by their family, husbands or in-laws in Pakistan over the first seven months of 2005, Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) said in a report on Tuesday. According to LHRLA’s data, there were 107 cases reported, two from Balochistan, five from the NWFP and 50 each from Punjab and Sindh. The city with the highest number of reported incidents was Karachi, with 41 cases, while 26 cases were reported in Lahore. Out of the 107 victims, 70 were married, two were single, while the marital status of the rest was unknown. In 18 instances, the victims were burnt alive, 56 women suffered critical burns and survived, while 29 later died of their injuries in hospital. In 62 cases, the women were allegedly burnt while cooking food, while in 13 incidents, burn injuries were caused by stoves or gas cylinders allegedly exploding. In 28 cases, reports only mentioned that the women’s clothing caught fire, while four women were injured in acid attacks. However, the LHRLA said that contrary to initial reports, there was evidence that suggested that these women were deliberately attacked by their families. The report said that in many instances, the aggrieved parties reached out-of-court settlements, as traditional customs barred women from appearing in court. It said that any compensation received in such settlements almost always went to the victims’ families; the victims themselves never received anything. |
| Posted by:Fred |