Key facts
- A French woman, Sylvie Yasmina, and her five children were rescued in Pakistan.
- She alleges she was held captive by her husband for over 12 years and subjected to domestic abuse.
- The rescue took place in Bara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
- Her husband has been arrested, and an investigation is underway.
- Authorities are coordinating with the French embassy for her repatriation.
Pakistani police have rescued a French woman and her five children after she reported being held captive by her husband for over a decade and enduring domestic abuse. The woman, identified as 54-year-old Sylvie Yasmina, was found in a mud-brick home in Bara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border. Her husband has been arrested, and authorities are investigating the allegations. Yasmina stated she had been unable to live freely since moving to Pakistan in 2014, and her children were never enrolled in school. She expressed a desire to return to France, with authorities coordinating with the French embassy for her repatriation. Rights groups have condemned the alleged treatment and called for assistance for the family.