This archive report was first published on 23 August 2020.
Published on August 23, 2020, a disturbing case of violence against a minor came to light in France. A 17-year-old Bosnian girl was beaten and had her 2ft long hair shaved off by her Muslim parents and relatives for being in love with a Serbian Christian boy.
The incident occurred in the eastern city of Besancon, France, where the girl's family had been living for two years after arriving from Bosnia-Herzegovina. According to judicial sources, the girl suffered bruises and a broken rib during the 'act of torture.'
Prosecutors have charged the girl's relatives with violence against a minor, and they now face trial in France. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin expressed his shock and outrage over the incident, stating that the girl was 'shaved and beaten because she 'loved a Christian'. This barbarity calls for the most severe punishment.'
Deputy prosecutor Margaret Parietti revealed that the girl's parents had initially accepted her relationship with the Christian boy, but when they started discussing marriage, they forbade her from marrying a Christian due to their Muslim faith. The girl's family then took drastic measures to prevent her from seeing her boyfriend, stripping her of her phone and restricting her contact with him.
Four days later, the girl and her boyfriend fled to the girl's family home, accompanied by the boy's parents. However, the girl's family and relatives were waiting for them, and the girl was subjected to a brutal beating and had her hair shaved off by her uncle while being beaten.
Officers arrived at the scene and found the girl hiding in a room, where she was taken to the hospital for treatment. The girl suffered a broken rib and bruises 'everywhere,' particularly around her ear.
