96 GENDER PERSPECTIVES ON TORTURE: Law and Practice His response focused less on the loss of his daughter and more on what he perceived as unfair treatment directed at him and his family. Rather than making a plea to those responsible for his daughter’s death, he defended his “Englishness,” illustrating the importance he placed on saving face and maintaining honor in the eyes of others. Mr Ahmed used the word “normal” many times in the Newsnight interview when describing Shafilea, his family, the “holiday” to Pakistan during which Shafilea swallowed bleach, and the night of her disappearance (Gill 2014). He continuously sought to present his family in a positive light. R v Iftikhar Ahmed and Farzana Ahmed 2012 In September 2004, the police submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether to pursue a case against Shafilea’s parents. Six months later, Mr Robin Spencer QC advised the police that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate guilt beyond a reason­ able doubt and secure a conviction. On January 11, 2008, a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances of Shafilea’s death found that she had been “unlawfully killed” (Warrington Guardian 2009). The sit­ uation changed in August 2010 when “Alesha” (a pseudonym) Ahmed, Shafilea’s sister, was taken into custody on suspicion of having arranged a robbery at her parents’ home. Having requested to speak to officers about another matter, she was interviewed in the presence of her solicitor. During the interview, Alesha claimed that, as a 15-year-old, she and her three surviving siblings had wit­ nessed their parents killing Shafilea on the night of September 11, 2003. “Both of my parents were very controlling and tried to bring us up in the Pakistani Muslim way,” she said, before going on to explain that Shafilea was the one who was “picked on” most by their parents (Gill 2014: 185). One of Alesha’s earliest childhood memories was of seeing her mother hitting Shafilea. She stated that her parents attacked her and her sisters countless times, both verbally and physically. According to Alesha, her parents’ abuse of Shafilea escalated over time. Between the ages of 14 and 17, her sister was attacked virtually every day for the most trifling reasons. If Shafilea received a text message or phone call from a boy, wore “inappropriate” clothes, or associated with white friends at school, her mother would claim that Shafilea had shamed the family. Alesha described one incident in which her mother hit Shafilea and then shut her in a room without food for two days, only allowing her out to use the toilet. “They knew that they could control us completely through fear” (Gill 2014: 186). Alesha’s testimony presented the “missing piece” of evidence, allowing the Crown Prosecution Service to advance a convincing case against Shafilea’s parents. In September 2011, both parents were charged with murder. Their trial commenced on May 21, 2012 at Chester Crown Court. The Trial of “Normal” Parents As a witness for the prosecution, Alesha was called on to describe the night of Shafilea’s disap­ pearance. She recalled going with her mother and brother to collect Shafilea from work just after 9.00 p.m. on September 11, 2003. When Shafilea reached the car, they saw that she was wearing a lilac t-shirt and white trousers made from stretchy material, with ties at each side on her hips. As soon as her mother saw Shafilea, she complained that her clothes were too revealing. Alesha stated that when they arrived home, the whole family assembled together in the kitchen, her mother demanding that the family collectively search Shafilea’s bags. This practice was not unusual. Finding some money in Shafilea’s handbag increased her mother’s anger and she accused