French Woman and Children Rescue After 12 Years of Abuse in Pakistan

Wed Jun 24 2026 19:05:51 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A French family held captive for a decade has been rescued by Pakistani police and moved to safety amid allegations of abuse and neglect.

In Bara, a remote town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a police raid uncovered a French national and her five children who had been confined and abused for more than a decade. The family claimed daily physical and mental abuse by the husband, who was arrested on charges of domestic violence and illegal residence in Australia. The victims were taken to a women’s shelter in Peshawar and are preparing to return to France. Authorities highlight the failure of the children’s education and social isolation during the captivity. This case draws attention to cross‑border family dynamics and the role of law‑enforcement in addressing domestic abuse.

French Woman and Children Rescue After 12 Years of Abuse in Pakistan

Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa conducted a raid on a remote house in Bara that led to the arrest of a man accused of keeping his wife and five children captive for more than 12 years.

The victim, Sylvie Yasmina, a French national, claims the husband beat and mentally abused her and the children on a daily basis. She said the family had been effectively imprisoned when they moved from Australia to Pakistan in 2014.

According to police, the family was found in a cramped, dilapidated room with visible bruises. The children had not attended school; the older ones missed their studies, while the youngest were never enrolled.

After the raid, Yasmina and her children were taken to a women’s shelter in Peshawar and are expected to return to France. Authorities have not identified the husband’s name, though he is believed to be a Pakistani national who had been residing illegally in Australia when the couple met.