By Tariq Majidi
A young woman was decapitated by her fiancé, a member of the local Public Protection Force, in Feroza district of Herat province on Saturday. Police officials said the man has already been arrested, and the victim's family have called for justice.
The marriage was arranged, and the sister of the man who stands charged of the murder is in fact the fiancé of the victim's brother. The incident was said to have occurred when the man arrived in the early morning at his in-laws house and attacked his fiancé with a knife.
"About 4:30 A.M. this morning, the fiancé of this girl came to her house and first hit her with a knife, and after she screamed, he beheaded her," said Aminullah, a relative of the victim.
The assailant reportedly fled the scene of the crime. "The murderer fled the scene after killing her, but was arrested by police later; now, we want justice," another relative of the victim named Abdul Qadeer told TOLOnews.
The relatives of the murdered girl have joined together to call for justice. "We want the government to hang the man behind the murder," one relative named Nesar Ahmad said. "If the government does not make a decision, we will and and we will kill the man. We have given the sacrifice of blood, and we want blood in return."
The motive for the murder, if there was one, remains unclear. Regardless, the tragedy comes just a day before before Afghanistan celebrates International Women's Day, further highlighting the extent of challenges the country continues to face in addressing violence against women.