**French Woman Allegedly Held Captive by Husband for 12 Years Rescued in Pakistan**
Authorities in Pakistan have arrested a man accused of holding his wife and children captive for over a decade in a remote area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The woman, identified as Sylvie Yasmina, a 54-year-old French national, claims that her husband subjected her and their five children to physical and mental abuse since their relocation to Pakistan from Australia in 2014.
According to police reports, Yasmina described her husband as "very violent" and stated that the family was effectively imprisoned in their home. The situation came to light when one of their sons managed to escape and report the abuse to local authorities. This prompted a police raid on their residence in Bara, where officers discovered Yasmina and her children living in a cramped and "extremely dilapidated room." The family reportedly bore visible signs of abuse, including bruises.
Following their rescue, Yasmina and her children were taken to a women's shelter in Peshawar, where they are currently receiving care and support. Authorities have indicated that the family plans to return to France.
Yasmina's ordeal began after she married her husband, a Pakistani national, in 2003 while he was residing illegally in Australia. The couple lived in Australia until 2014, when they moved to Pakistan with their two older children. Since then, Yasmina claims she has had no contact with the outside world, and her children have faced severe educational deprivation. The two older children have reportedly missed their schooling, while the three younger children, born in Pakistan, have never been enrolled in any educational institution.
In her statement to the police, Yasmina expressed the despair she felt over their situation, stating, "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." She further lamented the impact of their captivity on her children's future, saying, "I felt that my future was already ruined, the future of the children would also be ruined."
The case has drawn attention to issues of domestic abuse and the plight of women and children in similar situations. Local police are continuing their investigation, and the husband remains in custody as authorities gather more information regarding the family's circumstances.
As Yasmina and her children begin to recover from their traumatic experience, their story highlights the urgent need for support systems for victims of domestic abuse and the importance of raising awareness about such issues in society.