Sana’a: Human rights activists and local residents in the Yemeni capital are building pressure on the government and the country’s attorney-general to investigate the kidnapping and alleged gangrape of a minor a month ago.
The crime, now known as the Assar girl case, took place in Assar district of Sana’a.
Activists told Gulf News that the girl was violated on May 10 when she had gone to buy bread for her family early in the morning.
Seven people, said to be related to influential figures in Sana’a, allegedly bundled her into their car and sped off. Witnesses said that the young men had dragged the girl in the street when she refused to go with them.
Human rights activists said they don’t know for sure when the girl had been released by her tormentors.
The story came to light on May 15 after several local news websites reported that a 13-year-old orphan girl had been raped and killed by a group of seven drunken youths.
For their part, Assar residents gathered a day after the outrage at the house of local parliamentarian Mohammad Mushili Al Radhi and submitted a formal request to the attorney-general Dr Ali Al Awash, urging him to investigate the incident. In their letter, the residents mentioned the names of witnesses and three suspects. “We urge you to order the arrest of the perpetrators and dispel the ambiguity around the case,” the letter stated.
A resident who attended the meeting told Gulf News that the local people knew the girl and her father very well. “The father is under huge pressure from the perpetrators’ influential fathers. He is also afraid of undermining his family’s reputation if his daughter were to confess.”
The resident, who requested anonymity, said that many people were working to bury the case.
Protests
On June 6, dozens of human right activists and Assar residents organised a sit-in in front of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s residence to draw attention to the crime.
After receiving a petition signed by about 20 people, Hadi ordered the general prosecutor to look into the matter. Last Saturday, Assar residents were back to stage a rally in front of the attorney-general’s office in Sana’a and handed him Hadi’s order.
Ammar Al Shami, a human rights activist, told Gulf News that he met on Monday with three of the witnesses who told him that they saw seven drunkards force the girl into their vehicle.
“The witnesses indentified three of the abductors. The abductors are reportedly involved in many other crimes. Now we demand that the court investigate the kidnapping case which is proved by the eyewitness’ testimony.”
Al Shami, however, denied media news reports that quoted witnesses as saying that the girl was raped by seven men. “The rape case has not been proved yet and the investigation will either prove or disprove this allegation.” he said .
