Faisalabad, brutal murder of 14 year old Christian boy, his body dismembered and face disfigured
Faisalabad (AsiaNews)
- A brutal murder, of a shadowy nature, has shaken the Christian community in
Pakistan already marked by the experience of a disabled girl imprisoned for
blasphemy in Islamabad, 11-year-old Rimsha Masih (see AsiaNews 19/08/2012 An
11-year-old disabled Christian girl arrested for blasphemy, 300 families flee). On
21 August the police in Faisalabad found the horribly mutilated body of Suneel
Masih in an isolated area of the city.
They boy a Christian orphan from the city had disappeared two days
earlier. Still
shocked by the ferocity of the killers a police officer confided on the
condition of anonymity to AsiaNews:
"It's the first time - said the inspector - that I have ever seen such a
murder ". The
body was found with the ears, nose, tongue and limbs torn from the body, the
belly ripped open and internal organs (including the liver and kidneys) taken,
perhaps to be sold on the black market. The
killers then poured acid on his face, perhaps to make him unrecognizable.
But
investigators have yet to open an investigation into the terrible murder of the
14 year old orphan Christian, whose funeral took place yesterday in the
presence of minority leader and local politicians. A
protest march was held on the streets of Faisalabad, during which people repeatedly
demanded "justice" for the 14 year old Suneel Masih (pictured). Tomorrow
an autopsy will be held on the remains of the boy, to clarify whether there was
also sexual violence before death.
According
to the story of some witnesses informed of the facts, on August 19 last Suneel -
a 5th class student - went to a shop in Liberty Market to buy a shirt. That
night, the boy did not return home and the family raised the alarm. A
desperate search began, which proved to be useless and his disappearance was
reported to police. Two
days later, on 21, police found the horribly mutilated corpse of the boy in an isolated
industrial area.
The
Christian community is in shock and demanding justice, perhaps in vain because
so far the police have not even opened a formal investigation. Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr. Nisar
Barkat, diocesan director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace of
the Catholic Church of Pakistan (NCJP), appealed to the government and law
enforcement to bring the perpetrators to justice "as soon as
possible." The
Christian community, the priest adds, feels insecure and cannot stop thinking about
this horrible case. Hindus and
Christians "live in fear". The
Christian MP of Punjab Joel Aamir Sohotra echoes this fear, saying that
"this brutal murder poses a serious reflection on the freedoms enjoyed by
minorities, because" we are not just in front of the murder of a Christian
boy, but the freedom of all minorities.
"
The
Christian lawyer Kamal Chughtai confirms that he has never seen "such a
thing, with this level of cruelty in my entire life." He
strongly condemns this "atrocity" and calls for the immediate arrest
of the culprits. And
if they are not brought to justice in two days, as promised by the police, all
the Christians in the city should take to the streets to demand justice.
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