Missing for more than a year – Five members of her family, including her father and uncle, will go on trial next month in a so-called ‘honour killing’
Italian authorities have found the body of 18-year-old Shaman Abbas, who had been missing for more than a year after she refused to travel to Pakistan for an “arranged marriage”.
Shaman lived in Novelara, in northern Italy, near Bologna. In 2020, she refused to go to Pakistan to marry a cousin, as requested by her family. As she was a minor, she turned to Pronoia, who placed her in a hostel in November 2020.
The teenager’s body was identified from dental records after human remains were discovered near her family’s home in November 2022, Ansa news agency reported citing lawyer Barbara Iannucelli.
Abbas has not been seen since April 2021. Five members of her family, including her father and uncle, will go on trial next month for a so-called “honor killing” that shocked Italy.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said there was no longer any doubt about the victim’s identity.
“Let justice be served for an innocent young woman who just wanted to live her freedom,” Meloni wrote on Twitter, accompanying her post with a photo of Abbas wearing a red headband and matching red lipstick.
Unfortunately, there is no doubt, Saman Abbas has been killed. Il corpo ritrovato a Novellara appartiene alla 18enne pakistana. A febbraio iniziérà il processo che vedrà imputati i suoi familiari: sia fatta giustizia per una giovane innocente che voleva solo vivere la sua libertà . pic.twitter.com/MxhWS1xhTe
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) January 4, 2023
A fractured bone in the front of the neck supports the theory that Shaman was strangled, said Iannucelli, an attorney with the Penelope Organization who specializes in missing persons cases.
Prosecutors believe the family became enraged when they discovered Shaman was having an affair with a boy in Italy.
Authorities suspect the teenager was murdered on her way back to her family’s home to pick up some documents while living in a foster home under Pronia’s care.
Her father, Shabir Abbas, was arrested in his village in eastern Pakistan in November on suspicion of murder. He always denied that his daughter was dead.
Her uncle was extradited from France and will stand trial, along with two of her cousins. Her mother remains at large and is believed to be in Pakistan.
RES-EMP
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
