A 29-year-old woman has finally revealed a horrific secret that she kept for four years.
Shahin Munir, from Warrington, Cheshire, told that her best friend’s parents killed her sister in an honor killing and she was asked to keep quiet.
16-year-old Shafilea Ahmed was killed by her parents in 2003 and her body was then dumped.
Shahin and Shafilea’s sister, Mev were best friends. Mev had witnessed the murder of her sister and told about it to Shahin in a series of letters.
Shahin was asked to keep quiet and she promised she would but couldn’t.
After the murder trial started against Shafilea’s parents, Farzana and Iftikhar Ahmed in 2012, Shahin decided to help convict her best friend’s parents.
Shahin said it was the hardest thing but knew it was right.
Shahin said: “I knew it was the right thing to do. But Mev would never tell on her mum or dad because it would be like she was betraying them.”
“I helped to get justice for Shafilea. But in doing so, I lost my best friend, Mev.”
Mev stood by her parents and Shahin felt she hurt her best friend who trusted her and confided in her.
But, she decided to do it for Shafilea – the innocent girl who was murdered by her own parents.
Shahin told that she knew Shafilea had been missing for a few years but never asked her friend, Mev about it.
Shahin then felt there was something wrong and Mev’s parents were very strict so she couldn’t get a chance to ask her what was wrong.
In August 2008, Shahin finally told Mev to write down what was bothering her. She wrote two letters and gave them to Shahin.
Shahin said what she read was horrifying. When she met Mev, she asked her about her sister’s death.
Shahin said: “She told me her dad started beating Shafilea and that she had tried to stop it but her mum knocked her back.”
“One of them used a plastic bag to suffocate her and within one or two minutes, that’s it — she was gone.”
“I wrestled with my conscience about whether to go to the police. I knew it was my duty to report it”, she added.
Shafilea’s parents were convicted in August 2012 and are now serving a 25-year jail term.
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