A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced to death two men found guilty of raping a woman in front of her young children last year, in a crime that shocked Pakistani society and provoked strong protests.
The death sentence for gang rape is unprecedented in Pakistan but the Lahore anti-terrorism court has decided to make an exception for those involved, Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali, after a trial that has lasted more than six months.
In addition to the death penalty, Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali have also been sentenced to life imprisonment and fined 300 euros each, Geo TV reports.
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Malhi, the main accused, had been booked for a gang rape case in 2013, but managed to get out on bail. As many as 50 witnesses appeared in court to record their statements in the case.
In September last year Malhi and his accomplice robbed and raped a woman who ran out of fuel on a highway in the middle of the night near Lahore. The victim’s young children were present.
The rape and subsequent victimization of the survivor by a senior police officer triggered protests and the implementation of legislation passed in December that allows courts to impose chemical castration on some offenders, as well as the creation of special courts for faster trials.
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