Pakistani police said they rescued Sylvie Yasmina, a 54-year-old French citizen, and her five sons this week after more than 10 years held in isolation in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border. The operation took place in Bara, where the family had been confined in a small mud-built room. Police said Yasmina’s husband, a Pakistani national, was arrested and an investigation has begun.
According to police, the rescue became possible after one of the sons managed to leave the house and reach a local police station. After the extraction, Yasmina and her children were taken to a women’s police station for protection. District police chief Waqar Ahmad said the family was found in poor condition, and Yasmina had visible signs of injury on her face.
In her initial statement, Yasmina said her husband had abused her physically and mentally for years and had been violently abusive throughout the period. She said that since moving from Australia to Pakistan in 2014, she had never been free, and that she and the children had been cut off from the outside world for more than a decade. Police also said the children had never been enrolled in school.
Yasmina told investigators she wants to return to France. Pakistani authorities said they are working with the relevant agencies and the French embassy to arrange her repatriation. In a police video shared with the media, Yasmina thanked the officers who freed her and spoke in a mix of English and Pashto, repeating that she wanted to go back to France. The case has renewed attention on domestic violence in Pakistan, where rights groups say many abuse cases go unreported.
