Jamila Jamambaeva, the Ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan, made a sharp statement about the need to tighten measures against domestic violence. Her words were a reaction to a horrific incident in the Talas region, where a 28-year-old woman suffered serious burns to 60% of her body after her husband doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.
This tragic case, which became known only recently, occurred in the village of Boo-Terek in the Bakai-Ata district in October of last year. According to the victim's mother, on that day, her drunk son-in-law, after a quarrel and beatings, began looking for an axe, threatening violence. Not finding it, he returned with a canister of gasoline. While the mother was hiding the frightened children in another room, the man carried out his threat, and his wife quickly ignited. Rescue came from passersby who heard the screams and took the victim to the hospital.
During the investigation by the Ombudsman Institute, it was revealed that the husband's relatives tried to cover up the traces of the crime. While the woman was in intensive care, doctors were pressured to present the situation as an "accident while lighting the stove." Only months later, when the husband began to beat his wife again, she found the strength to tell her mother the truth and ask for help.
Currently, the victim is in Bishkek with her two children, requiring long-term treatment and serious psychological rehabilitation. It is known that her husband is a 32-year-old employee of the Talas city hall. The case has been transferred to the Bakai-Ata District Department of Internal Affairs, and an official investigation has been initiated. Jamila Jamambaeva has taken personal control of the situation, insisting on severe punishment for the perpetrator. She noted that impunity only contributes to new atrocities, and law enforcement agencies must demonstrate that the law can protect women in Kyrgyzstan.
