Jail for the in-laws who turned a blind eye to arranged bride's murder

Three women and one man were convicted under new domesetic violence laws for failing to step in and help Sabia Rani.

She was attacked over a three-week period, suffering "catastrophic" injuries usually only seen in car crash victims.

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The "vulnerable" 19-year-old, who had arrived five months earlier from Pakistan for the arranged marriage, should have been taken to hospital for emergency treatment in an intensive care unit.

But none of the in-laws who she lived with helped, and she was left to die at home.

Yesterday there were emotional scenes at Leeds Crown Court as four members of the husband's family were found guilty of allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

The case is one of the first under 2004 domestic violence laws which allow for the prosecution of someone not directly involved with a child or "vulnerable" adult's death, but who should have intervened to stop it.

The victim's mother-in-law Phullan Bibi, 52, sisters-in-law Nazia Naureen, 28, and Uzma Khan, 23, and Khan's husband Majid Hussain, 28, were convicted by a jury after nine hours of deliberation.

As the verdicts were read out, all three women were wailing and holding on to each other from the dock.

The victim's husband Shazad Khan, 25, was convicted a year ago at Leeds Crown Court of murdering his wife.

Police then moved to prosecute the family.

The court heard how the victim's mother-in-law and a sister-in-law blamed her injuries, which included at least ten fractured ribs, on "evil spirits, curses and black magic".

Prosecutor Simon Myerson QC said of the defendants: "They did nothing. She was in severe pain, but not one of them did anything."

The teenager did not speak English, knew no one else apart from her husband's family and never went out alone.

The court heard Sabia would have been in terrible pain and her injuries "couldn't have been hidden by simple stoicism".

The defendants claimed they saw no injuries on her body and didn't realise she was in pain.

Paramedics were called to the family home on May 21 2006 to find the girl dead in an upstairs bathroom.

Judge James Stewart QC adjourned sentencing to a later date. He granted the defendants bail until another hearing today, but indicated they would probably be jailed.