Fourteen people in a village in northwest Pakistan were arrested Thursday for burning a teenager to death because she helped her friend elope.
Police say the crime was a “pre-planned” honor killing, perpetrated by village leaders outside of Abbottabad with approval from the village council, the Washington Post reports. Ambreen Riasat had helped her friend marry a boy in court without the bride’s father’s permission, prompting a number of men to drag her from her house, tie her inside a van and set her on fire, according to the paper.
“They said she must be burnt alive to make a lesson for other girls,” said Saeed Wazir, the regional Abbottabad police chief.
On April 29, Riasat’s body was found in the van in Donga Gali.
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2022
- Employers Take Note: Young Workers Are Seeking Jobs with a Higher Purpose
- Signs Are Pointing to a Slowdown in the Housing Market—At Last
- Welcome to the Era of Unapologetic Bad Taste
- As the Virus Evolves, COVID-19 Reinfections Are Going to Keep Happening
- A New York Mosque Becomes a Refuge for Afghan Teens Who Fled Without Their Families
- High Gas Prices are Oil Companies' Fault says Ro Khanna, and Democrats Should Go After Them
- Two Million Cases: COVID-19 May Finally Force North Korea to Open Up
Read More From TIME