Authorities ignored signs that now murdered girls were abused by father (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

There was no intervention with dad MOHAMMAD SHAFIA. The child welfare authorities could have investigated and removed these girls from his home--but they declined to do so. This despite ample evidence that the girls were being abused physically and emotionally. And they have the nerve to blame the girls for not "confronting" this man, the one who stands charged in the slaying of four in a so-called "honor killing"? How about the gutless wonders who even as adults, not living under Daddy's regime, declined to get involved? Even as a social worker has testified that at least one of the daughters had asked for help?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/teens-terrified-of-father-showed-up-at-school-with-bruises-honour-killings-trial-hears/article2247802/

Teens terrified of father, showed up at school with bruises, ‘honour killings’ trial hears
timothy appleby

KINGSTON— From Friday's Globe and Mail

Published Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011 2:27PM EST
Last updated Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011 10:26PM EST

In hindsight, all the warning signs were there.

One of the teenagers came to school with bruises, but wouldn’t say how they occurred. Her angry younger sister was skipping classes, her grades plummeting. Both were desperate to leave home. And hovering over everything was the spectre of a controlling, often violent father, of whom they were clearly terrified.

In short, what appears to have transpired was a profound and – it’s alleged– ultimately murderous clash of cultures.

Listening to teachers and social workers on Thursday, the jury weighing the fate of three Afghan-Canadians accused of committing multiple so-called honour killings heard a wealth of testimony pointing to a deeply dysfunctional, male-dominated Montreal household.

On trial are Kabul-born businessman Mohammad Shafia, 58; his second wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, 41; and their eldest son, Hamed, 20. They stand jointly accused of murdering three of Mr. Shafia’s and Ms. Yahya’s teenaged daughters, Zainab, Sahar and Geeti, aged 19, 17 and 13 respectively, along with Mr. Shafia’s first wife, Rona Amir Mohammad, 53.

The four bodies were discovered in a car at the bottom of a lock on the Rideau Canal just east of Kingston in June, 2009.

The jury has already heard that Sahar attempted suicide, and fresh testimony Thursday underscored the depths of her misery and fear, and the similar plight of her younger sister Geeti. Both attended Antoine de Saint-Exupery high school in the Montreal borough of St. Leonard.

Teacher Claudia Deslauriers told the jury of seeing bruises, scratches and scars on Sahar’s forearms. When she asked the teen what had happened, “she didn’t say anything,” Ms. Deslauriers testified.

Ms. Deslauriers also recounted meeting the children’s “really angry” mother, Ms. Yahya, who demanded to know if Sahar had a boyfriend, and if Ms. Deslauriers had seen her kissing him. The teacher said no, she had not, which was false, because, “I didn’t want her to have any problems at the house.” Ms. Yahya told the teacher she could not tolerate her daughter kissing a boy “because it did not fall within her values,” Ms. Deslauriers testified.

Also testifying Thursday was social worker Stephanie Benjamin, summoned by the school psychologist just weeks before Sahar and the others died.

“She feared being beaten by her father, who had just come back to Canada [from a business trip],” Ms. Benjamin said of Sahar, who was anxious to leave home and get a job. Her long-term hope was to become a gynecologist and work in Afghanistan, but her immediate need was to get away from her father and older brother, Hamed, who more than once had physically abused her – on one occasion by flinging scissors at her from across the table. “She was asking me to help,” Ms. Benjamin testified.

It was not only her parents and older brother whom Sahar feared, the trial heard. She worried about one of her other male relatives telling the adults that she was associating with boys at school. “She was afraid [the relative] would tell her father she was a whore,” former teacher Antonella Enea told the jury.

“She said she couldn't live a normal life – to see her friends, things of that nature,” Ms. Enea said of Sahar, who attended classes for new immigrants at the school. Geeti, too, showed signs of being profoundly unhappy at home and afraid of her father, manifested in poor attendance and mood swings, the jury heard.

On two separate occasions – in 2008 and then in 2009, just weeks before the teens died – child-welfare authorities in Montreal were contacted. Both times there was no intervention. Part of the difficulty, the trial has been told, was that Sahar and Geeti were reluctant to confront their domineering father.

The trial is in its sixth week, and the prosecution is expected to wrap up its case on Dec. 5.