- Life sentences upheld for parents and cousins in 2022 femicide case
- Victim refused arranged marriage before disappearance from Emilia-Romagna farm community
- Case triggered 2019 Italian law criminalizing forced marital coercion
In a landmark ruling for immigrant women's rights, Italy's Bologna appeals court reinforced life imprisonment for Shabbir Abbas and Nazia Shaheen on Friday. Their daughter Saman’s decomposed remains were discovered 18 months after her 2021 disappearance, buried near her father’s agricultural workplace. Forensic evidence suggested traumatic neck injuries consistent with family-assisted strangulation.
The verdict spotlights Italy’s growing reckoning with honor-based violence, particularly affecting second-generation immigrants navigating cultural divides. Over 63% of forced marriage reports since 2020 involve South Asian families, per Interior Ministry data. Saman’s embrace of Western lifestyles – documented through social media posts with her non-familial partner – reportedly clashed with her parents’ traditional expectations.
Regional Context
- 2023: German court convicts Afghan father for daughter’s honor killing
- 2022: UK registers 2,887 honor violence cases, 14% annual increase
- France dissolves 3 religious groups linked to forced marital practices
Legal analysts note Italy’s 2019 marital coercion law enabled prosecutors to pursue transcontinental charges when the Abbas family fled to Pakistan. The legislation mirrors Belgium’s 2017 framework allowing extraterritorial jurisdiction for honor crimes. However, conviction rates remain below 22% due to witness intimidation in closed communities.
Saman’s case gained momentum through digital evidence, including deleted WhatsApp messages coordinating her murder. Her boyfriend provided crucial testimony about death threats preceding the disappearance. Surveillance footage from April 30, 2021, later placed all convicted relatives at the crime scene.
Islamic cultural mediator Fatima Zahra commented: This ruling empowers girls to report familial pressure without fearing community backlash. Our centers now see triple the weekly inquiries since the verdict.
