Two men are sentenced to death for gang-raping a French mother in front of her children when her car ran out of petrol in Pakistan
- Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali raped the woman at gunpoint on a highway in Lahore
- The men also stole money, jewellery, and bank cards, before fleeing the scene
- The pair received 14 year prison sentences, to be served before their executions
A Pakistani court sentenced two men to death on Saturday for the gang rape of a French woman in front of her children in Lahore last year.
Prosecutor Hafiz Asghar said the verdict in the case against Abid Malhi and his accomplice Shafqat Ali was issued inside the prison where it was held in Lahore.
Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta also sentenced the men to 14 years imprisonment, time that must be served before any executions can take place.
Appeals or commutations are likely.
A Pakistani court sentenced Abid Malhi and Shafqat Alito death on Saturday for the gang rape of a French woman in front of her children in Lahore last year
Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta (pictured arriving at the district jail) also sentenced the men to 14 years imprisonment, time that must be served before any executions can take place
According to the prosecutor and police, Malhi and Ali found the woman waiting for help after her car ran out of fuel.
She had locked the car doors but the attackers broke a window and dragged her outside where they raped her at gunpoint in front of her terrified children.
The men also stole money, jewellery, and bank cards before fleeing.
They were tracked down via mobile phone data, Asghar added, and arrested days after the incident.
DNA samples taken from the crime scene matched theirs.
The survivor identified the two men during the hearing, and Ali confessed to the crime before a magistrate.
The crime had drawn widespread condemnation on social media, with some activists demanding that those involved be hanged in public.
The trial, which was handled by an anti-terrorism court for expediency, has been closely followed on Pakistani television.
Prosecutor Hafiz Asghar (pictured arriving at the district jail) said the verdict in the case against Abid Malhi and his accomplice Shafqat Ali was issued inside the prison where it was held in Lahore
Human rights activists have urged the government to introduce harsh new penalties for rapists.
Malhi and Ali did not hire lawyers, and their state-appointed attorneys were not available for comment following the verdict.
Gang rape is rare in Pakistan, although sexual harassment and violence against women is not uncommon.
Nearly 1,000 women are killed in Pakistan each year in so-called ‘honour killings’ for allegedly violating conservative norms on love and marriage.
The trial, which was handled by an anti-terrorism court for expediency, has been closely followed on Pakistani television
Nearly 1,000 women are killed in Pakistan each year in so-called ‘honour killings’ for allegedly violating conservative norms on love and marriage