Muslim Family Beat up Daughter and Shave her Head for Intending to Marry a Christian
A 17 year-old girl of Bosnian origin faced pressure from her Muslim family, living in France since 2017, upon announcing her intention of getting married to her 20 year-old Christian boyfriend from Serbia. The two decided to run away together, but returned to her family home in Besançon four days later, on August 17, in the company of the boyfriend's parents, to resolve the issue. The situation escalated: The girl's parents and aunt and uncle beat her up severely and shaved her head. As a result, they are liable to prosecution and face expulsion from France.
The family arrived in France from Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2017 and moved into a residential building in the area of Clairs-Soleils, in Besançon. The girl started dating a young man of Serbian origin and Christian confession, who lived in the same building. At first, the relationship between the two families was friendly, but it turned around when the two announced their intentions of getting married. "We are Muslims, you are not going to marry a Christian", the parents told their daughter according to Margaret Parietti, vice-prosecutor of the Republic of Besançon. They forbade her to keep in contact with him.
The young couple managed to run away together for four days, during which they stayed in contact with their families via SMS to keep them reassured. It seemed like the situation had calmed down, so the two returned to the Bosnian family's apartment on August 17, along with the young man's parents, to resolve the issue. However, the situation escalated: The girl's parents, aunt and uncle slapped her and dragged her into another room where, in the presence of other minors, they punched, kicked and hit her in the face and on her body. Upon her father's request, her uncle then shaved the hair off her head.
In the meanwhile, her boyfriend and his parents had gone to get help. When the police arrived, the family tried to hide the terrified girl. She had to be hospitalized and was diagnosed with a broken rib, several hematomas and a trauma to the ear. Her parents and aunt and uncle are prosecuted for "violence against minors, in the presence of minors and in assembly" and were placed under judicial supervision with a prohibition to contact the girl, who was placed under judicial protection. They are waiting for their trial coming up in fall.
After having been denied asylum in December 2019, the parents of five had asked for voluntary return assistance. The procedure then had to be stopped due to the coronavirus epidemic and the closure of borders. A removal will be negotiated after the judgement. The aunt and uncle had been residing in France since 2016 with a refugee status, which might be withdrawn due to the incident, depending on the judgement. The expulsion would not concern the girl.
Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, and Marlène Schiappa, Minister responsible for Citizenship, expressed their dismay. Pierre Moscovici, president of the Auditor General's Office and former elected representative of the Socialist Party for the area of Doubs, said: "A 17 year old teenager beaten and shaved in Besançon because she loved a Christian! This act of torture and humiliation is atrocious, regressive and intolerable. It must be duly punished."
Source: La Depeche, Le Figaro
Symbolic Photo by Volkan Olmez on Unsplash