KABUL, Afghainstan - Another horrific case of violence against women in Afghanistan came to light Monday when authorities reported that a husband in a northern province, angry that his wife had not yet borne him a son, strangled her soon after she gave birth to their third child.
The killing in Kunduz province came weeks after a 15-year-old child bride in neighboring Baghlan province was rescued following a months-long ordeal at the hands of her in-laws, during which she was beaten, imprisoned in a squalid room and had her fingernails pulled out, authorities said. That case generated outrage both inside and outside the country.
Domestic abuse is commonplace in Afghanistan, but women’s rights groups have grown increasingly anxious amid efforts by the U.S. administration and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to embark on peace negotiations with the Taliban movement.
The militant Islamist group dealt harshly with women during its five-year reign, forbidding them from schooling and employment.
In the Kunduz case, however, the alleged killer was affiliated with an anti-Taliban militia commander, and local police said he was the leader of an armed gang that has been engaged in various criminal activities.
