The high-profile story of the rape of a European tourist by two armed men in Pakistan again stirred up foreign media and did not leave even the American businessman Elon Musk indifferent. The crime occurred back in 2020, but now new details have emerged. The convicts tried to challenge the verdict, arguing that the case contained gaps and contradictions, but the court remained adamant. What punishment awaits rapists - in the material of Lenta.ru.
Men attacked a tourist with children on the motorway
In September 2020, a 32-year-old French woman of Pakistani origin, whose name has not been disclosed, was traveling late at night with her two children on the Sialkot-Lahore highway. At some point, the car ran out of fuel and the woman stopped on the side of the road. She called relatives in the local town of Gujranwala. They advised her to contact emergency services and went to help.
The Frenchwoman prudently locked the car doors, but this did not become an obstacle for two Pakistani men aged approximately 30-35 years - Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali. They broke a window, pulled the woman out of the car and, threatening her with a pistol, abused her in a field near the road in front of her children. The attackers then took money, jewelry and bank cards from the tourist and fled.
The search for the attackers lasted only a few days. The police found them thanks to the evidence left behind and the description that the victim was able to provide, despite severe psychological trauma. Forensic testing confirmed that DNA samples taken at the crime scene matched the profiles of those detained.
The crime and the official’s comment outraged the public
The rape of a tourist has angered Pakistanis. Their outrage was heightened by comments from Lahore City Police Chief Umer Sheikh, who questioned why the woman was driving alone at night, “without the protection of a man,” and said she should have taken a different route. According to the official, no one in Pakistan would allow their sisters and daughters to travel alone so late and the Frenchwoman probably mistakenly believed the country was as safe as her homeland.
The reaction to Sheikh's comment was unprecedented in the country and came from all sides. On social media, people condemned the police officer for blaming the victim, and human rights activists demanded his resignation. Thousands of people across Pakistan took part in protests demanding justice and better protection for women.
Lahore Women's March organizer Hiba Akbar said Pakistan needs fundamental and structural changes at all levels of society, as well as effective preventive measures to prevent sexual violence.
Later, the police chief, realizing the inappropriateness of his remarks, apologized to the victim.
The convicts considered the sentence unfair
Having studied the circumstances of the incident, law enforcement officials determined that Malhi and Ali violated several articles of the Pakistani Criminal Code and the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Law. As a result, on March 20, 2021, an anti-terrorism court sentenced them to death, life imprisonment and several prison terms.
The convicted tried to challenge this decision, saying that there were reasons to doubt the version of events presented by the prosecution. Moreover, the rapists considered the court’s decision too harsh and “contrary to established principles of law.”
In June 2026, a panel of the Lahore High Court (the highest court in the Pakistani province of Punjab - Lenta.ru note) rejected the appeals of Malkha and Ali and upheld the death sentence.
Elon Musk reacted to the court
Billionaire Elon Musk, among others, commented on the decision of the Lahore High Court. There was a lot of discussion about the case on Platform X after British MP Rupert Lowe shared an update on the verdict, writing: "Good news from Pakistan."
In response to this post, X owner Musk wrote: “Bravo Pakistan! This is what we should do in the West."
