KABUL (SW): Lying on a hospital bed with severe burn wounds, Zainab said she became victim of a forced marriage with an addicted man.
Narrating her tale, the 18-year old told Salam Watandar that her father married her off to a 45-year old addicted man. Zainab added that one day her husband forced her to drink liquor with him but she resisted and subsequently tried to commit suicide by torching herself.
The young bride has been hospitalized in the Istiqlal Hospital for the past ten days now. Zainab recalled that she was against this marriage from the beginning. The young woman added that her father stopped her from studying after grade six and made her stay home and tailor clothes for money.
After the marriage, she narrated that her husband was abusive and used to beat her almost every day. The unfortunate bride added that her father and grandmother sent her back to her husband’s home after she escaped that due to torture.
When she went back to her husband’s home, he beat her again and poured petrol on her and directed her to set herself on fire. Zainab explained that she was tired of this horrible life and acted on her husband’s command to torch herself.
Now, the doctors fear she is critically wounded.
Dr. Ahmad Shah Wazir, specialist for skin and burns, told Salam Watandar that 86 percent of Zainab’s body has been burnt. He added that chances of survival for such patients are extremely thin. He added that the hospital has received 4 such patients since the beginning of this year. Last year, the hospital received 1145 such patients.
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