Pakistan: French woman gang-raped in front of kids in Lahore, citizens outrage as police blames victim

Protests broke out in Pakistan on Friday after the brutal gang-rape of a woman in front of her children after her car broke down on a motorway. The anger of the protestors was further exacerbated by the fact that police appeared to blame the victim after the horrific incident.

The victim is a resident of France.

The woman had alleged that she was gang-raped in front of her kids by multiple men when her car ran out of fuel in Lahore. She had claimed that she called the police when she ran out of fuel, but as she waited, two men suddenly came up, and broke the windows of her car. Afterward, they proceeded to drag her and her two children out of the vehicle and raped her multiple times in front of her children.

However, to add insult to injury, the lead police investigator in the case told the media that the woman should have thought twice before travelling alone at night. Media reports quoted him as saying that she“mistook that Pakistani society is just as safe” as France.

He further said that no one in Pakistani society would "allow their sisters and daughters to travel alone so late".

This has angered many women activists in Pakistan as they accused the officer of contributing to the sickening culture of victim-blaming in Pakistan. It must be noted that Pakistan is a country where the patriarchal code of "honour" is prevalent which denies women basic human rights like choosing their own husband or working outside the home.

Around a thousand Pakistani women are murdered for bringing 'shame' to the family, technically described as 'honour killing', each year.

Human rights minister Shireen Mazari said his remarks were unacceptable.

"Nothing can ever rationalize the crime of rape," she added.

Imran Khan stated that strict action will be taken against the culprits. “Such brutality and bestiality cannot be allowed in any civilised society.” he said in a statement on Twitter.