A 54-year-old French woman named Sylvie Yasmina and her five children were rescued by police in Bara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after reportedly being held captive and abused by her husband for over 12 years, officials said [1, 2, 3, 4].

The family, found living in a cramped and dilapidated mud-brick house, showed visible injuries and bruises consistent with ongoing abuse, police reported [1, 3, 4]. The husband, identified as Ahmad Khan, a Pakistani national who had been living illegally in Australia before relocating with the family to Pakistan in 2014, was arrested and is under investigation [2, 3, 4].

Sylvie Yasmina and Ahmad Khan married in 2003 and lived in Australia before the family moved to Pakistan in 2014. The children, five in total, have never attended school: the older two missed schooling in Australia and the three younger ones born in Pakistan were never enrolled [3, 4].

The abuse reportedly included daily physical and psychological violence. Yasmina said, "We were deprived [of our] freedom, my husband didn't take care of us the way he should as a husband and the father of my children. He beats us and put pressure on our lives on a daily basis" [4]. She also expressed feelings of despair: "I felt that my future was already ruined, the future of the children would also be ruined" [4].

The rescue came after one of the children escaped the house in early June to seek help from local police, prompting a raid that freed the family and led to Ahmad Khan’s arrest [1, 2, 3, 4]. The woman and her children were taken first to a women’s police station and then to a shelter in Peshawar for their protection [1, 3, 4].

Yasmina told officials, "Thank you for rescuing me; I want to return to France." Pakistani authorities are now coordinating with the French embassy to arrange repatriation [1, 3, 4].

Shabina Ayaz, director of the Aurat Foundation, said, "I hope the French embassy and Pakistani authorities will provide the family with all possible assistance. This case should serve as a wake-up call for authorities and society" [1].

Investigations into the husband’s alleged crimes are ongoing, and efforts continue to secure the family’s safety and well-being.