Woman Imprisoned at Home by Husband for 12 Years in Pakistan Freed

Police in Pakistan have arrested a man who kept his wife and children captive at home for 12 years, subjecting them to regular violence, BBC reports.

It was reported that Sylvie Yasmina, a French citizen, suffered physical and psychological pressure from her husband for years. The woman described the man as an extremely cruel person.

One of the couple's sons managed to secretly leave the house and notify the police. Subsequently, law enforcement agencies conducted a special raid on a residence located in the town of Bara in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Police found Yasmina and her five children in a narrow and dilapidated room. Numerous injuries and bruises were found on their bodies. The woman and her children are currently placed in a special shelter in Peshawar and plan to return to France in the coming days.

54-year-old Yasmina said the family moved from Australia to Pakistan in 2014 and had been completely cut off from the outside world since then. She was not allowed to communicate with anyone; two of her older children were deprived of education, and three younger children born in Pakistan never attended school.

“We were deprived of our freedom. My husband did not care for us as a husband and father. He beat us every day and put us under constant pressure. I believed my future was ruined and feared that my children's fates would also be lost,” Yasmina stated.