Child Trafficking Involved in Pakistan Murder Case

(February 18, 2010) New details are suggesting that a 12-year-old Pakistani Christian who was raped, tortured and killed is one of many victims of child trafficking in that country. Shazia Masih died January 21 in a Lahore hospital after her employer allegedly raped and tortured her. The girl, who was from a poor Catholic family, was working as a servant for a Muslim lawyer, Chaudry Muhammad Naeem, in Lahore. Fides reported Tuesday that further investigation into Shazia's case has led back to a ring of organized crime based on child trafficking. In this system, children are taken from their poor families, often Christian, who are deceived into believing that there is dignified work for them among wealthier families and later sold as slaves. It reported that Shazia's parents were approached by a man named Amanat Masih, who was later discovered to be a broker in child trafficking. He promised a better life for the young girl, offering his contacts with the wealthy families of Lahore. The parents agreed to let Shazia go, and Amanat sold her to the lawyer. The parents soon realized that things were not as they believed when they went to Naeem's home to inquire after their daughter, and were sent away without seeing her. They made another attempt, but the lawyer withheld Shazia and any wages she should have earned. On January 21, the lawyer showed up at their home with the lifeless body of the girl, saying that she "had fallen down the stairs" and offering them money for their silence. Thousands attended the January 25 funeral.