They Murdered Their Daughter Because She Wanted Independence
By: Jacob Wilkins
Tags: Teenagers, Crime, Family, Murder, True Crime

They Murdered Their Daughter Because She Wanted Independence

A woman suffocating under a plastic bag by Kenneth Gorzal Surillo (Pexels — image resized by author)

Shafilea Ahmed was born on the 14th of July 1986. Iftikhar Ahmed (her father) and Farzana Ahmed (her mother) were cousins from Pakistan who had been forced into an arranged marriage.

Despite then choosing to live in the United Kingdom, Iftikhar and Farzana didn’t approve of the western lifestyle. And as such, Shafilea and her younger siblings were raised in a harsh, ultra-conservative environment.

A violent household

Over time, Shafilea rejected her parents’ influences and grew fond of her local community in Warrington, Cheshire. Whilst at school, she made friends, thrived at her studies, and hoped to study Law once her A-levels were complete.

Unfortunately, Iftikhar and Farzana did not approve of their daughter’s ambition or her day-to-day decisions.

Shafilea’s choice of clothing was a frequent source of conflict. She wanted to wear clothes like every other teenage girl: t-shirts, hoodies, jeans, skirts, cardigans. Iftikhar and Farzana, on the other hand, hated their daughter’s fashion choices. And on one occasion, Farzana called Shafilea a slut before ripping off her false nails and washing out her hair dye by force.

But this was tame compared to some of the other punishments. Shafilea’s parents were brutal disciplinarians who would beat their daughters whenever they stepped out of line. Junyad Ahmed — Shafilea’s brother — was the only child who wasn’t beaten.

Shafilea’s cuts and bruises didn’t go unnoticed at school. But whenever questions were raised about their daughter’s home life, Iftikhar and Farzana would claim the accusations were a result of racial prejudice and Islamaphobia.

This was an effective tactic. And even when the police spoke to Shafilea at school, she lied and told them everything was fine. She was terrified of what her parents would do if she spoke about her mistreatment.

Attempted suicide

Iftikhar and Farzana simply loathed their daughter. And in the spring of 2003, they devised the ultimate punishment: an arranged marriage.

They wanted Shafilea to marry one of her cousins in Pakistan. Shafilea was forced to travel to her parents’ native country and meet her suitor, who was ten years older than she was. Shafilea, of course, refused to accept the marriage proposal.

Enraged by their daughter’s attitude, Iftikhar and Farzana accepted the proposal on Shafilea’s behalf before stealing her passport. They were determined to stop her from bringing more shame upon the family.

Shafilea became desperate and was overwhelmed with fear. She didn’t want to marry her cousin. She wanted to stay in Britain and live an independent life away from her family’s influence.

Unable to cope with the prospect of staying in Pakistan, Shafilea tried to kill herself by drinking bleach. Though she survived, the bleach damaged her throat, which made it difficult for her to swallow.

Shafilea was then taken back to Britain and treated at her local hospital in Warrington. While she was there, her father told the nurses that she’d drunk the bleach accidentally during a power cut.

The murder

When Shafilea left the hospital, the beatings and the arguments continued to escalate. The mutual hatred between Shafilea and her parents had never been so intense. And eventually, Iftikhar and Farzana’s fury turned them into murderers.

On the 11th of September 2003, Farzana went to pick up Shafilea from her part-time job at a call centre. When Farzana saw what her daughter was wearing — a t-shirt, a hooded cardigan, and a pair of tight-fitting jeans — she started criticising Shafilea immediately.

Their row carried on when they returned home. But rather than beating Shafilea as they normally did, Iftikhar and Farzana decided to end their daughter’s rebellious ways once and for all.

Whilst Shafilea was sitting on the sofa, Iftikhar and Farzana held her down, preventing her from making an escape. During the struggle, a plastic bag was forced over Shafilea’s face and down her throat. She kicked her legs violently, her eyes wide with terror. But her efforts weren’t enough to stop her mother and father.

Shafilea’s younger siblings witnessed the entire scene. And when the deed was done, they saw their father putting Shafilea’s body in his car before driving off into the night.

Faking innocence

A teacher from Great Sankey High School noticed Shafilea’s prolonged absence. And soon after, the police started to investigate.

Iftikhar and Farzana claimed their eldest daughter had run away from home. They also told their other children to repeat this lie if they were asked any questions.

An official search was launched on the 18th of September. But it was months before Shafilea’s body was found. During this time, Iftikhar and Farzana pretended to be innocent during police interrogations and press interviews.

They were still the prime suspects, however. And two months into the investigation, the police became even more suspicious.

After placing a hidden listening device in the Ahmeds’ home, investigators overheard Iftikhar talking about the British legal system. He said that it was impossible to convict someone without proof and voiced his concerns about the police finding DNA evidence in the car.

Though Iftikhar and Farzana were clearly hiding something, there still wasn’t enough evidence to convict them.