A cleric rapes a female student in Kunduz and Taliban pressure to cover up the truth.
In the latest example of gender-based violence in Taliban-held areas, local sources in Kunduz province reported that a cleric raped his daughter’s student in Dasht-e-Archi district; A shocking incident that once again highlights the nature of impunity structures in the Taliban regime.
According to confirmed information, Maulvi Saifullah, the director of the Qari Khodai Dad religious school in Haji Mohibullah village, kidnapped the teenage girl and imprisoned her for three days in Imam Sahib district and raped her. Local sources said the victim was a young girl from the village of Haji Mohammad Lal who was a student at the school.
According to reports, the accused left the girl in front of his house at night after committing the crime and warned her father that if he disclosed the matter, his life and that of his daughter would be in danger.
What makes this incident more worrying is the structural support for the accused. Local sources insist that Maulvi Saifullah’s family has widespread influence in the Taliban ranks and is now using this power to threaten the victim’s family and prevent prosecution. This is a clear example of the systematic abuse of religion, power and influence to silence the voice of justice and perpetuate a culture of immunity.
The continued silence of such tragedies in the shadow of threats is a reminder of the urgent need for international monitoring, legal and media pressure, and strengthening the voices of women and victims’ families. These violences should not be lost in the noise of politics and global indifference.
