Dead river girl victim of domestic abuse (Roundup)

By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Jan 10, 2008, 11:58 GMT

(M&C) - The teenager found dead on a riverbank had been the victim of domestic abuse from her parents who also stole money from her account an inquest into her death heard yesterday.

The decomposed body of Shafilea Ahmed, 17, was discovered on a Cumbrian riverbank in 2004. A medical expert gave evidence that she had been smothered or strangled and said it was "not credible" to say she had died of natural causes.

The inquest heard the young girl was unhappy about an arranged marriage her family had planned for her.

Giving evidence, Anne Marie Woods, homelessness officer with Warrington borough council said: "She said she had been staying with friends and had nowhere to live. She was fleeing domestic violence and an arranged marriage. She said there had been an escalation of violence since she was 15. One parent would hold her down while the other parent was hitting her."

"Her mother had started packing and told her she was going to Pakistan for an arranged marriage and that is why she was leaving home," she said.

The inquest also heard Miss Ahmed had handed Ms Woods a note which said, "Over the past few years I have been experiencing domestic violence which has stopped me coming to college on more than one occasion."

"They have also forced me to quit my job - from that I saved up £2,000 which they took out of my bank account. But my fear is that my parents were going to Pakistan to get me married to someone and left there," she wrote.

Ms Woods said she believed the victim was "genuinely frightened" of the arranged marriage in Pakistan.

Despite investigations by police, no charges have been brought against anyone for the teenager's death.

The hearing continues.