Seven men accused of gang raping four women on August 23 stand trial in court in Kabul on September 7, 2014. The seven men, who stood in the dock dressed in brown traditional clothing, were found guilty of kidnapping and attacking the women. Photo: CFP

A convoy of four cars drove swiftly through one of Afghanistan's most famous tourist resorts in the Paghman Gardens, a popular relaxation spot to the north of the capital city of Kabul. The well dressed men and women inside, on their way back from a wedding party on a late August evening, were listening to music and gossiping about the fun they'd had when they were stopped by police at a check post. Or so they thought.

What actually awaited these happy men and women was a gang of 11 thugs disguised as Afghan police, waiting for their prey on a weekend night. What happened afterwards remained a mystery for some days to come until an employee at a Kabul hospital leaked the news about four women, including a teenager and a pregnant lady, being viciously raped for hours in Paghman. Fearing further humiliation in Afghanistan's conservative and male-dominated society, the traumatized victims had not gone to the police to lodge a complaint.

But thanks to the social media, the news went viral, resulting in an intense online campaign that forced the police to launch an investigation and go after the perpetrators. Within days, they had six suspects in custody.

On September 2, Kabul Police Chief General Zahir Zahir told a crowded press conference that he could finally sleep peacefully after busting half of the gang responsible for the unprecedented gang-rape of four women on a Kabul street in August.

The incident shocked a devoted, conservative Afghan society, with many calling for the public execution of the perpetrators of such a rare and shameful offense.

According to details provided by police and published in social media, the men were wearing police uniform while standing guard along the main road linking Kabul to Paghman district in the north. The men stopped the four cars, looted all the passengers' cash, jewelry and valuables, beat the men and brought their string of crimes to a close by gang raping the four women for hours. At his press conference, General Zahir said that the culprits were trying to escape to Iran but were caught from the southeastern province of Ghazni.

One day after the arrests, the terrified women were asked to come forward to identify the rapists. With the support of their family, the women gathered the courage to walk into police headquarters through a crowd of journalists, police personnel and other officials. Covering their faces with veils, the victims identified their rapists, bursting into tears while recalling the horrific abuse they went through.

All eyes on the judges 

The men now await a final verdict from the country's Supreme Court. A lower court has already sentenced them to death.

Almost every Afghan, from roadside vendors to societal elites, are calling for the death sentence. President Hamid Karzai has said he supports the death penalty for the rapists, although he is not very fond of capital punishment in principle.

Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch has criticized the trial's legal procedures.

"The police and court have responded to a horrific crime with a botched trial that makes a mockery of justice for both victims and defendants," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director for the HRW.

The watchdog has noted that the trial did not examine the victims' allegations that the accused men were wearing police uniforms. Kabul police have denied that the defendants were members of any police unit. However, the Paghman area is known to be dominated by various militia forces. The possible involvement by police or militia in the crime should be thoroughly investigated. The Paghman case also highlights the dangers for female victims of sexual violence, who already face a severe social stigma in Afghanistan. Afghan cultural norms make it extremely difficult for many women to speak with a male police officer who is not related to them, especially about issues such as sexual assault.

Public anger at a boil

Where the average Afghan is concerned, almost no one is ready to forgive the rapists under any circumstances. Afghan society, known for strict social mores, has had enough of exploitation and crimes during the past few decades, argues Nizamuddin Katawazi, a leading human rights activist. "They eagerly want to set the record straight with these convicted criminals, who have confessed. [They want to see them pay] the price for their crime," Katawazi told the Global Times.

For many Afghans, especially those in rural and mountainous villages, anger towards the state has been combined with and compounded their anger from the Paghman incident. Unlike in major cities like Kabul and Kandahar, life for ordinary Afghans has not changed for the better during the past decade.

Militancy and poverty still rampant throughout the land-locked country, providing fuel for crimes such as that seen in Paghman last month.