She Said No: Pakistani Family Gets Life in Italy for Daughter's Murder

Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation has definitively upheld the life sentences of the family members responsible for the premeditated murder of 18-year-old Saman Abbas, officially closing a painful judicial saga. Shabbar Abbas and Nazia Shaheen, her parents, alongside cousins Ijaz Ikram and Noman Ul Haq, will serve life in prison. Her uncle, Danish Hasnain, received a 22-year sentence for killing the teenager in Novellara on the night of 30 April to 1 May 2021. Her only crime was refusing a forced marriage to an older cousin in Pakistan.

The unappealable ruling from Italy's highest court leaves no room for further legal challenges, ensuring that those responsible for this tragic loss remain behind bars. The judges confirmed that Saman’s murder was a carefully orchestrated punishment prepared in advance, rather than a sudden outburst of rage. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the parents were the orchestrators of the crime, while the uncle and cousins carried out the physical act.

Saman, an 18-year-old of Pakistani origin, had a clear vision of how she wanted to live. While still a minor, she rebelled against her family’s plan to marry her to a cousin in Pakistan. In November 2020, she sought help from social services and was moved to a shelter home, subsequently reporting her parents for abuse. Tragically, she returned to the family home on 11 April 2021. When police visited on 5 May 2021, the house was deserted, and her parents had fled to Pakistan.

Critical evidence emerged from a nearby security camera, which captured five individuals leaving the Abbas residence on 29 April 2021, carrying shovels, a crowbar, and a bucket. They returned roughly two and a half hours later. This footage proved vital in establishing the premeditated nature of the crime. Both parents were later extradited to Italy to face justice, and Saman's body was eventually recovered from a ditch near an abandoned farmhouse.

Speaking to journalists and in widespread public commentary, a crucial distinction has been highlighted between arranged marriages, which are a consensual and common cultural practice, and forced marriages, which are unequivocally forbidden under Islamic law. For a valid marriage ceremony to take place, the bride must give explicit permission in front of witnesses. If she refuses, the ceremony cannot legally proceed.

Saman’s refusal was met with lethal violence, leaving the public to mourn a young woman who simply wanted to choose whom to love, how to dress, and how to live. The overwhelming sentiment is that the fault lies entirely with the perpetrators, not the girl. There is a resounding call from the public for parents and relatives around the world to allow their sons and daughters to marry whom they wish—whether heterosexual or same-sex—prioritising their children's happiness, freedom of choice, and the fundamental right to love.

The heartbreaking case has ignited discussions regarding generational clashes in immigrant communities. Daily Dazzling Dawn learned that many observers point out the irony of families migrating to Western nations like Canada, the United States, or European countries, only to forcefully resist their children adopting the local culture. As public sentiment powerfully asserts, if parents cannot tolerate foreign cultural integration, they should raise their children in their own countries where they can adopt according to their mindset.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her agreement with the verdict, stating that while no ruling can bring Saman back, it is right that those responsible for this barbaric crime have been definitively convicted. She stressed that in Italy, there is no room for those who presume to deny a woman’s freedom, dignity, and life in the name of supposed cultural or religious justifications. "My thoughts go to Saman. May she finally rest in peace," she added.

The conclusion of Saman's case coincides with broader judicial actions in Italy. Last month, another Pakistani couple in Reggio Emilia were sentenced to two years in prison for forcing their 22-year-old daughter to undergo an abortion and coercing her into marriage in Pakistan. The young woman had rebelled and reported her parents to the police after enduring years of abuse.