Pakistan police arrest key suspect in gang rape of a woman polio worker

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Pakistan police arrest key suspect in gang rape of a woman polio worker

2024-09-18 21:37 Last Updated At：21:40

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police arrested the key suspect in the gang rape of a woman polio worker who was assaulted by three men during last week's vaccination campaign, officials said Wednesday. Two other suspects are still at large.

The assault on Thursday in Jacobabad, a district in the southern Sindh province, was one in a spate of attacks targeting polio vaccination teams going door to door in the campaign across Pakistan.

The woman who was attacked had alerted the authorities, saying she was raped by three men after going into a house in Jacobabad to administer polio drops to the children there, local police official Mohammad Saifal said.

The suspect, identified as Ahmad Jakhrani, was arrested overnight, Saifal added.

Police are still seeking the arrest of the two other men, accused of taking turns to assault the woman, Saifal said. A local police chief and a district administrator were fired for negligence following the attack, for failing to provide the polio worker with adequate security.

The attack shocked many Pakistanis as such sexual assaults are rare, though women polio workers have complained of harassment in the past during the campaigns. The provincial government in Sindh has said it would fully investigate the case.

Police also detained the husband of the attacked woman for kicking her out of their home and threatening to kill her after the assault over allegedly tarnishing the family's honor by being raped.

Sadia Javed, the spokesperson for the Sindh government, said others involved in the rape should soon be arrested as well.

“We are providing protection to the victim of assault," she said. "The government will ensure that all women polio workers get maximum security during the upcoming anti-polio campaigns.”

So-called honor killings, in which women and girls are slain by their own relatives for allegedly dishonoring the family's reputation, are still common in Pakistan.

Saifal also said police have been deployed to the house where the woman was now staying with her relatives for her protection.

Anti-polio campaigns in Pakistan are regularly marred by violence. Militants often target polio vaccination teams and police assigned to protect them, falsely claiming that the campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.

Since January, Pakistan has reported 17 new cases of polio, jeopardizing decades of efforts to eliminate the potentially fatal, paralyzing disease from the country. Polio often strikes children under age 5 and typically spreads through contaminated water.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in which the spread of polio has never been stopped.

Pakistan’s government is planning another polio vaccination drive in October, said Anwarul Haq, who oversees polio campaigns in the country.

Ozuna homers, Urshela drives in 3 as Braves beat Reds 7-1

2024-09-19 09:25 Last Updated At：09:30

CINCINNATI (AP) — Marcell Ozuna homered, Gio Urshela drove in three runs and Spencer Schwellenbach pitched six innings of one-run ball as the Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 on Wednesday night.

The win allowed the Braves to stay within two games of the Mets for the final National League wild card spot.

The Braves are 1-4 against the Reds this season.

Ozuna greeted Tony Santillan (2-3) with his 38th home run of the season in the seventh, a solo shot that broke a 1-1 tie. The blast ended Ozuna's home run drought at 26 games and his RBI drought at 19 games. Urshela drove in two runs with a bases loaded single, pushing the lead to 4-1.

In the eighth, Michael Harris II homered and Ozuna doubled to knock in Eli White and record his 100th RBI of the season.

Urshela drove in his third run with a ground-rule double in the ninth.

Schwellenbach (7-7) made his 19th start for the Braves. In six innings, he allowed one run on five hits while striking out five and walking two.

The Reds managed three hits in the first five innings and pushed their only run across in the sixth. Elly De La Cruz hit his ninth triple into the right field corner to lead off the inning. De La Cruz scored on TJ Friedl's safety squeeze.

Jakob Junis made his fourth start for the Reds. He was pressed into a starting role when Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo were injured. Junis retired the first 11 Braves’ batters before Ozuna doubled. Matt Olsen’s single to center broke the scoreless tie in the fourth.

Junis pitched six innings, allowing just two hits. He retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: Ozzie Albies made his first rehab start Tuesday night. “He hit off lefties all night. Everything was good. I hope he can get some right on right at bats, tonight," manager Brian Snitker said.

Reds: The Reds are deciding whether Hunter Greene will make a start Sunday. “He will make two starts,” David Bell said.

UP NEXT

The final of the three-game series on Thursday afternoon will feature the Reds' rookie Julian Aguiar (2-0, 4.88 ERA) against Braves' veteran Chris Sale (17-3, 2.35 ERA).

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