Home Latest News DNA Tests Support Minor’s Rape Claim

DNA Tests Support Minor’s Rape Claim

by Benazir Shah and Rimmel Mohydin
File Photo. Cristina Quicler—AFP

File Photo. Cristina Quicler—AFP

Victim was recovered unconscious from a Lahore hotel on Dec. 25.

The Punjab Forensic Science Agency has found evidence supporting the claim of a 15-year-old rape victim in Lahore.

DNA tests conducted by the agency confirm that the girl, whose name is being withheld to shield her privacy, was sexually assaulted. An agency official, who asked not to be named, told Newsweek on Friday that traces of the saliva and semen of Adnan Sanaullah, one of the eight men accused of the crime, was found in samples taken from the victim’s mouth and anus, which was bruised. The injuries are about a week old, the official said.

Punjab Forensic Science Agency Director General Ashraf Tahir on Monday confirmed the findings of the DNA report. “The semen belongs to suspect Adnan Sanaullah,” he told Newsweek. “Traces were also found on her trousers.”

Another semen sample collected from the minor’s clothes suggests the likely involvement of another man, but this cannot yet be confirmed.

According to the victim’s family, the 15-year-old girl was abducted from a tailor’s shop near her house on Multan Road. Hours later, the family received a text message alerting them to her location. She was discovered unconscious at a hotel on Mall Road on the evening of Dec. 25. The victim says she was drugged and gang-raped. Eight men, including Sanaullah, are currently in police custody.

“He is definitely the man,” the official told Newsweek referring to Sanaullah, “but the tests have not confirmed any evidence of gang rape.”

Sanaullah has reportedly been affiliated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, which denies any link with the accused.

Some recent media coverage of the crime claimed that the minor girl had engaged in a consensual relationship and attributed the rape allegations to a lover’s quarrel. The agency’s findings put paid to such speculation. On Jan. 2, the victim’s family told the press that she had been taken to hospital after she tried to kill herself.

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3 comments

leena January 8, 2016 - 8:35 pm

What is infuriating is the irresponsible desire to include statements like ‘Some recent media coverage of the crime claimed that the minor girl had engaged in a consensual relationship and attributed the rape allegations to a lover’s quarrel.’ Rape is a rape. Whether she knew the person or not is besides the matter. It was NOT consensual. She was found unconscious in a hotel. Trying to conceal the matter by adding speculations is like saying, that she asked for it. Or she was willingly hanging out with these men in that hotel room, and when things got out of hand she decided to use the rape card. Makes no sense what so ever. She was raped by filthy barbaric men. Punish the men who did this. Leave the poor girl and her relationship matters out of it.

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Pakistani January 8, 2016 - 10:59 pm

very bad. who is responsible?

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Mushtaq Ahmad January 14, 2016 - 12:58 pm

In Daily Dawn Lahore dated 14th. Jan. 2016 it is reported that ‘ Rape victim records statement before magistrate’. She said that she had frienship with prime suspect Adnan Sanaulla and had gone with him to receive a birthday gifton the day of incident. She also stated that she was not raped but sodomized. It is evidently clear that she was pressurised to record such statement. This statement is in quite contradiction of the of Newsweek. Her mother and brother in law admitted that the family had been family facing pressure from different quarters. It is clear that a firm action needs to be taken against the culprits without fear favour.

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