“I was assaulted in front of my son”: Former Afghan Policewoman

KABUL (Khaama Press): A former Afghan policewoman has revealed that Taliban militants entered her home after the fall of Kabul and sexually assaulted her in front of her son.
This former police officer, who had worked for four years in the women’s security sector of the former government’s Ministry of Interior, described her harrowing experience on the day of Kabul’s fall.
She mentioned that at 10 a.m. on the 15th of August 2021, her commander at the ministry informed her and her colleagues that the Taliban had entered Kabul and that they needed to escape.
In an interview with Afghanistan International, she said, “We removed our military uniforms, left our weapons behind, and rushed out, but gunfire had already begun. The situation was dire, like doomsday. I managed to get my family to safety.”
This former Afghan policewoman revealed that she comes from an educated family, where her father and brothers were also in the military. She shared images of her father with NATO soldiers, who had been killed ten years ago. She mentioned that her father had served in the 207th Corps and was a member of the Special Forces (Commandos).
When she learned that NATO was assisting her Afghan colleagues in evacuating Afghanistan, she and her entire family went to Kabul’s airport. She described the overcrowded scene at the airport on the 4th of September 2021 when suicide bombings occurred, plunging her into darkness.
After the explosion, she lost contact with her family members, and to this day, aside from her mother, she has not found her two sisters and two brothers.
The Terrifying Taliban Assault
The horrifying situation after the attack at Kabul airport compelled her to return home. She stated, “It was 9 in the morning. We were having breakfast. The Taliban entered our house. They accused me of being a military officer, a prostitute, a sinner, of being involved with generals or soldiers, of having relations with foreigners, and insisted that I should come willingly and marry them.”
While tearfully recalling the events, she added, “When I refused and my son said, ‘This is my mother,’ five of them raped me in front of my son. They covered my son with a blanket, blindfolded him, and took him away. They said I had to marry them.”
She mentioned that the Taliban gave her until evening to prepare herself. According to this former policewoman, the Taliban assigned two fighters to stay behind the gate of her house to ensure she wouldn’t escape.
Escape from the Taliban’s Clutches
This former policewoman, who had worked in the Ministry of Interior, had a teenage daughter. Fearing for her daughter’s safety, they both escaped by jumping out of a window at the back of their house when the Taliban left. They managed to flee the danger.
Now safe outside of Afghanistan, she expressed her anguish, “It’s been about two and a half years since I last heard from my son. I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing. I cry day and night, and it’s taking a toll on my sanity. I was able to save myself and my teenage daughter and escape.”
Currently employed as a cleaner at a health centre, she bravely shared images of the physical abuse inflicted by the Taliban on her body and arms with Afghanistan International reporters. She has sought help from the United Nations Refugee Agency, alerting them to the danger faced by her and other Afghans and urging them to find a haven for them. She emphasized the need for assistance from international organizations and countries offering asylum, questioning their response to her past suffering and the current threats she faces.