Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Shehab Khan

Syrian refugee 'allows smugglers to rape his wife as payment for trafficking family to Europe'

A Syrian refugee reportedly allowed smugglers to rape his wife as payment for his family being trafficked to Europe.

The husband, who had run out of money, allegedly volunteered his wife for payment and apparently started participating in the daily rapes.

The unidentified woman, a mother-of-four, now lives in Berlin and has placed a restraining order on her husband, according to the New York Times.

The woman remains in fear of being killed by her estranged husband or another relative for bringing "dishonour" to the family.

Speaking to the New York Times, Susanne Höhne, the lead psychotherapist at a centre in West Berlin that treats traumatized female migrants said the woman displays all the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including flashbacks, insomnia and trouble concentrating.

"One moment she will seem perfectly healthy, the next she is in her chair opposite you dodging bullets in Damascus or reliving her abuse in Bulgaria," she said.

Ms Höhne also claims that almost all of the 44 women in her care have experienced sexual violence.

The incident is one of thousands unreported cases of sexual assaults on migrant women as they travel to Europe.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.