Afeefa C S, who previously chose her parents over her lesbian partner, has now approached district authorities, claiming that she is being subjected to conversion therapy and facing torture at home. However, a recent attempt by the police and Sakhi staff to relocate Afeefa and her mother to the One Stop Centre was unsuccessful, as her family forcibly took her away. “We don’t know where they took her. The police are investigating that,” stated the Women Protection Officer.
According to Afeefa’s complaint, she is experiencing torment at home and being coerced into undergoing the controversial ‘therapy’. When the team visited Afeefa’s residence, they encountered violent protests, with the family adamantly refusing to let her leave with them. “The mob was violent when the Sakhi staff and a few police personnel went to the house of Afeefa. They vehemently objected to the intervention of the authorities to help the girl. According to our information, the family had forced her to withdraw from the relationship with Sumayya,” revealed Gargi H, secretary of Vanaja Collective, an NGO involved in the case.
Earlier, on June 19, Afeefa informed the Kerala High Court that she had been living with Sumayya Sherin in Puthencruz, Ernakulam, but no longer wished to continue their relationship and was now residing with her parents voluntarily. This statement was given in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by Sumayya, who alleged that Afeefa had been abducted by her family.
Note: Sakhi is a feminist NGO that focuses on the empowerment of women, engendering governance, and the safety of women, among other concerns.
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