A man and three of his female relatives, who illegally held a woman and her five-month-old child in a barn for several months, subjecting the mother to violence, were handed long prison sentences, the spokesman to the Supreme Court Aziz Abidov said today.
The woman and child's disappearance were first reported in August of last year. Residents of a neighborhood in Uzun district of Surkhandarya province, upon learning of the situation, contacted the police. The house’s residents refused to allow the neighborhood police officer into the barn, but he overcame their resistance and forced the door open. There, he discovered a 28-year-old woman - the common-law wife of a house’s resident - with her infant.
The woman was diagnosed with malnutrition. She was forced to subsist on watermelon rinds. She and her child were hospitalized, and medical and legal assistance was provided.
A 44-year-old man, Sh. A., and three of his female relatives—M. Sh. (50), K. Sh. (47), and Z. A. (74)—were taken into custody (except for the eldest, who was placed under house arrest).
The district police department opened a criminal case under the Intentional infliction of bodily injury dangerous to life or resulting in the loss of sight, speech, hearing, or any organ, or the complete loss of organ function, mental or other health disorder associated with a permanent loss of overall ability to work of over 33%, committed by a group of persons against a woman who was known to be pregnant.
By a ruling of the Uzun District Criminal Court, the man was found guilty under four articles of the Criminal Code:
- Article 126-1 — Domestic violence;
- Article 127 — Engaging a minor in antisocial behavior after an administrative penalty for the same actions;
- Articles 135 through 25 — Attempted human trafficking;
- Article 138 — Forcible and illegal deprivation of liberty.
Three of his female relatives were found guilty under the Intentional grievous bodily harm, as well as Articles 127, 135 through 25, and 138.
The man was sentenced to 13 years in prison, two female relatives were handed nine-year imprisonment, and the eldest female relative - five year house arrest.
