The teenager Ayesha, 18, was five months pregnant and died from an abortion attempt (Image: Supplied)
A teenager who fell pregnant after being gang raped has died from complications after a botched abortion. Just before she died 18-year-old Ayesha was able to tell police what had happened to her in a case that has shocked Pakistan.
The young girl is reported to have been working as a domestic worker for a wealthy family in the city of Lahoure, having taken a job to help support her family. However, court records show the youngster was preyed on by the son of her boss and the family’s driver and raped and sexually abused multiple times.
Local media reports Ayesha discovered she was pregnant as a result of the horrific abuse in November last year. The family she worked for pushed her into having an illegal abortion to protect them from any shame the case may bring in Pakistani society.
(File image) Previous protests in Pakistan over rapes in the country (Image: Getty)
But Ayesha fell ill after the botched procedure, and after several trips to the hospital, she died on May 26 – but not before she recorded from her deathbed detailing the abuse she had suffered. She was also able to give her testimony to detectives who are now investigating the family and the driver.
The driver has been remanded in custody, while the teenager’s employer and his son have been granted bail.
Ayesha’s heartbreaking video has gone viral in Pakistan, sparking national revulsion at her treatment and a wider debate about how women and girls who are victims of sexual crimes are treated in the country.
It’s understood from court records it was Ayesha’s employer’s wife who made her take a pregnancy test when the teenager stopped menstruating. The wealthy family first forced her to take abortion pills which made the youngster very ill.
After visiting her own family it was discovered Ayesha was still pregnant. Despite her failing health, Ayesha’s employers pressured her family to bring her back to Lahore to undergo an abortion.
Horrifyingly, it was discovered the baby had died when the operation was carried out.
Ayesha never recovered from the procedure and after several trips to hospital she passed away last month.
The girl was attacked in Lahore in Pakistan (Image: Getty)
Her death has now triggered a huge social media campaign calling out for justice for Ayesha.
Her father told the BBC: “We were in contact with our daughter on the phone, and she never said anything at first that would have made us think she was being raped
“When she came to Faisalabad and her health deteriorated, the doctor at the clinic told her that our daughter was pregnant. Hearing this, my legs trembled; it felt like the sky was about to fall on me.”
According to the Foreign Office, gender-based violence (GBV) against women and girls is widespread in Pakistan, including murder, so-called ‘honour’ crimes, rape, kidnapping (which may lead to early or forced marriage), and domestic violence.
The UN and national bodies report high rates of GBV, but actual figures are likely higher due to significant underreporting due to stigma and, in the context of domestic violence, the view that it is a ‘private’ matter.
Reported cases in 2024 included 547 ‘honour’ killings, 5,339 rapes, 24,493 abductions, and 2,238 incidents of domestic violence.
Punjab has the highest numbers, but rates per 100,000 women are also high in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Islamabad.
