A body believed to be that of an
18-year-old Pakistani-Italian woman allegedly killed by her
family for refusing an arranged marriage is complete and wearing
the same clothes as when she disappeared near Reggio Emilia on
the night of April 30-May 1 last year, Reggio Emilia Chief
Prosecutor Calogero Paci told Italian TV Monday.
Relatives of Saman Abbas including her uncle, believed to have
strangled her, are awaiting trial next February in the case, in
which her father is being held pending extradition from Pakistan
and her mother is still on the run in the Asian country.
The uncle took police to the site of her burial outside the
family home at Novellara a week ago after searches there had
proven fruitless, even with sniffer dogs, because the body was
buried over two metres down.
DNA tests are now being awaited to confirm it is her.
"A substantially complete body has emerged, which has been well
preserved considering the depth at which she was buried for over
a year and a half," said the chief prosecutor on Rai and
TeleReggio.
"She was wearing the same clothes at the moment of the burial".
Paci said these elements "almost" proved it was her body but DNA
tests would be needed to confirm this.
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