Woman who was kept as slave by her husband for two years was finally brought to justice after the man was sentenced to eight months for ABH and two years to be served concurrently. Sumara Iram was regularly beaten and threatened to be killed by Safraz Ahmed, 34, a mechanic by profession. She was forced to do chores from 5 am until midnight every day, and endured severe physical assault until she tried to take her own life with a dose of heavy painkillers. He has admitted to holding her in domestic servitude and causing physical harm.
Ahmed brought the victim to the UK in December 2012, after agreeing to an arranged marriage in the country in 2006. The attacks started immediately after their second official wedding ceremony in February 2013. Prosecutor Caroline Haughey of the Woolich Crown Court said, “In his words, he told her he had married her so she could look after his mother and his house.” Ahmed also punched Sumara in the face, causing damage that required surgery, cover her face with a cushion and threw tins of cat food at her head. She wasn't even taken to the hospital after her overdose, and the 28 year old had to call the police herself in August 2014. She said she wasn't permitted to leave the house alone and lived a “life of violence, intimidation and misery”.
Ahmed was arrested in February 2014 after neighbours saw him dragging Sumara into the house by her hair. Sentencing Ahmed, Judge Christopher Hehir said, “Between the point when your wife arrived and when there was a further ceremony, you had a change of heart about Ms Iram, possibly because of different levels of education and differing backgrounds. She was bullied and controlled by you, given little money and expected to cook, clean and look after your family as if she was a skivvy.”
