French Woman and Five Children Freed After Over Ten Years of Alleged Captivity in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani police said Wednesday they rescued a French woman and her five children after she reported that her husband had held her captive for over ten years and subjected her to prolonged domestic abuse in the country’s northwest.

The woman, identified as 54‑year‑old Sylvie Yasmina, was rescued earlier this week from a mud‑brick house in Bara, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province close to the Afghan border, said district police chief Waqar Ahmad.

He said that Yasmina’s husband, Ahmad Khan, has been arrested and that investigations are ongoing.

Domestic violence remains a serious issue in Pakistan. Human‑rights organisations say hundreds of women report physical and psychological abuse by husbands or other relatives each year, although many incidents are thought to go unreported. Dozens of women are killed annually in the country for allegedly breaching conservative norms concerning love, marriage and public conduct.

According to police, Yasmina was freed after one of her sons escaped the house and went to the local police station. She and her children were then taken to a women’s police station for their safety.

Ahmad, the police chief, said the woman said she wishes to return to France, and officials are coordinating with relevant authorities and the French embassy on her repatriation. The French embassy had not issued an immediate comment.

According to police, Yasmina initially stated that her husband had physically and psychologically abused her and possessed an extremely violent temperament. Ahmad told The Associated Press that Yasmina and her children were discovered in a rundown room and that she bore visible injuries on her face.

Yasmina told investigators that she had not been able to live freely since moving to Pakistan in 2014. Ahmad added that none of her children had ever been enrolled in school.

In a video recorded by police and shared with the media, Yasmina spoke in a blend of English and Pashto, thanking the officers for her rescue and reiterating her desire to return to France.

Shabina Ayaz, director of the Aurat Foundation rights group, condemned the alleged treatment of Yasmina and said she hopes the French embassy and Pakistani authorities will extend all possible assistance to the family, adding that the case should serve as a wake‑up call for officials and society.

Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writer Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

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