An Afghan Girl’s Tale of Torture and Hope

Pioneering war zone journalist Kevin Sites tells the story of a 12-year-old Afghan girl who was savagely beaten and tortured for years by her in-laws. But wonderfully, the story ends on a note of optimism. (You can even e-mail the girl here. Or at this e-mail address: gulsooma_afghanistan@yahoo.com)

Yahoo! News:

Married at the age of four, an Afghan girl was subjected to years of beatings and torture, finally escaping to discover that within all the world’s cruelty, there is also some kindness.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Eleven-year old Gulsoma lay in a heap on the ground in front of her father-in-law. He told her that if she didn’t find a missing watch by the next morning he would kill her. He almost had already.

Enraged about the missing watch, Gulsoma’s father-in-law had beaten her repeatedly with a stick. She was bleeding from wounds all over her body and her right arm and right foot had been broken.

She knew at that moment that if she didn’t get away, he would make good on his promise to kill her.

Link

From Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone / Yahoo! News

When her father died, Gulsoma’s mother gave the 4-year-old away to her neighbors in a promise of marriage. In her new family, Gulsome would be tortured and beaten close to death. But she escaped and, despite the horror, has found comfort in her belief that most “people are good people.” (from Yahoo! News)