Name: Shilah, Age: 34 years old, Gender: Female, Marital Status: married, Number of children: 1 boy and 4 girls, Place of birth: Kabul
Ethnicity: Tajik
Date of Rape: 18/02/2024
Husband: Security Guard of US Project from 2016 till 15 Aug 2021.
I am Shilah. After the fall of the government, we tried to enter the airport and participate in the evacuation program, but unfortunately it was not possible. We left Kabul for Baghlan Province and after few weeks there my husband started small work on the street, he was selling whatever he could find.
One night in June 2022, my little daughter was very sick and we didn't have enough money to travel back to Kabul for care so, we took her to a local clinic.
Unfortunately, because there was a shortage of medicine in the clinics of Farsi-speaking villages, my daughter was given outdated, or fraudulent medicine. As a result of those drugs, my daughter has become mentally disturbed and hard to manage.
In 2023, it was impossible for my husband to find work and we moved again to Takhar province, and my husband immigrated to Iran to find work there.
Our problems are many and day by day the economic problems are affecting all the people here. Very little money comes to us from my husband every month, and it is not enough for us. That's why I had to work around the city.
I made jam and at home and sold it in the market.
At home, I used to weave jackets, handkerchiefs and gloves from cotton and sell them.
On 18-02-2024, when I was returning home from the city (after work), a Taliban car with many bodyguards stopped beside me and said, "We will help you, where is your house?"
I was a little happy and said that our house is far and I was carrying so much. They said get in the car and we will stop by the store to buy rice, flour, oil and other food items for you to take home. One of the taliban men told me that this help was from the Taliban leader, who cares for poor people.
I got into the car. When I got into the car, a man said that 'I am the deputy of Taliban intelligence, I will buy you anything you want, but you have to sleep with me and have sex'.
I wanted to get out from the car but they put a gun to my head and said that if I scream, he will kill me and my family.
They covered my eyes and the car started to leave.
The car stopped and they took me out from the car. They took me to a house and when they opened my eyes, there were two other women in that house.
I cried and screamed, they warned me again and said that if I scream and fight too much, they will kill me.
A little time passed and the taliban men brought me semi-naked clothing and said that I must wear these clothes and dance with these two other women when the music starts.
The other women were very scared and trembling. We had to dance for the Taliban. We danced for about 4 hours.
In the party where we danced, there were about 15 Taliban, one of them knew Persian and spoke with us, the others only spoke Pashto and Arabic.
It was midnight, we were half-naked and tired and crying when two Taliban came and took two women with them to another room.
And two other Taliban came and took me to another room.
They started to rape me.
When I woke up in the morning, I saw that my whole body was covered in blood and sores, bruises, and I could not move because of the pain.
I laid in this room and was thinking about my children, worried about how they are and how they spent the night without me.
No one can imagine.
It was night again and the same two Taliban came again and raped me again until morning.
The next day, they took me home.
With the help of our neighbor, I was able to communicate with someone who was in contact with your team and your team transferred me and my childen to Kabul.
I am now in Kabul with my children and under the care of your team.
You saved my life and my children. I am very grateful to you and your team.
I always pray for you.
You supported us and helped us in difficult situations, especially in these situations when no one heard us, you helped and risked the life of your team to cooperate and help us.
We are grateful for your help.