RAWALPINDI: An 11-year-old domestic worker, who was allegedly tortured by her employers, recorded her statement in the presence of a civil judge on Monday as the prime accused in the case, Dr Ammara Riaz went into hiding.
The case had surfaced on Saturday through a series of videos shared on Twitter in which the minor child, identified as Kinza, could be seen talking about her employers’ alleged mistreatment of her.
On Sunday, a medical examination confirmed that the bruises and wounds found on Kinza’s body were consistent with her account of the torture. The examination report confirmed that there is evidence of torture carried out 15-20 days ago using “[a] knife, belts and persons standing on her straight with full weight multiple times”.
A case was registered at the Airport Police Station against Kinza’s employers on the complaint of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB). According to the police, the couple will be tried under the Child Protection Act.
Also on Monday, Dr Mohsin Riaz, husband of Maj Ammara Riaz and one of the accused in the case, presented himself before an additional and sessions judge to acquire bail in the case. The court granted him interim bail against Rs50,000 until October 29.
Notices were also sent to the police and the petitioner — the CPWB — to appear in court on Oct 29, the date of the next hearing.
Kinza was reportedly hired as a domestic worker in Rawalpindi’s Chaklala area by Maj Ammara Riaz and her husband, Dr Mohsin Riaz. During her employment, she was allegedly tortured by her employers for over a year.
The 11-year-old had recently managed to escape her employers’ house. She has accused them of starving her and torturing her with wires, belts and ropes for over a year. She also claimed that she was kicked and stomped on while she slept.
When asked by the person who filmed her narrating her ordeal to describe how she has been mistreated, she explained that she was not fed properly by the family she lived with, and when she stole food out of hunger, she was administered inhumane beatings.
In the video, Kinza showed injuries that she had sustained, including her bloodshot and bruised eyes as well as multiple wound marks on her arms, neck and head.
Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari took notice of the case on Saturday and said the ministry was “keeping a close eye [on the matter] to ensure justice for the little girl”.