Washington parents have been accused of attempted murder after trying to strangle their teenage daughter in an “honor killing” after she refused a forced marriage to an older man.
Parents charged with attempted murder of teenage daughter
Ihsan Ali and Zahraa Ali were arrested after the startling incident occurred at Timberline High School in Lacey, Washington.
The daughter, whose identity remains protected, revealed that her father had been threatening her life for declining a marriage arrangement with an older man from another country, according to court filings.
On October 18, she fled her home and sought refuge with school staff, but was tracked down by her parents who tried to kill her.
Ihsan allegedly choked his daughter until she lost consciousness while other students, including her boyfriend, tried desperately to intervene.
“It’s not right … you are not supposed to do this,” her father reportedly said with his hands around her neck before she fainted, as the girl recounted to the police.
Footage of the attack shows Ihsan pinning his daughter to the ground, pushing her face into the dirt, surrounded by students urging him to stop.
Eyewitness Josh Wagner told KOMO he was passing by with family when he stopped what seemed like a fight among students at a bus stop — until he realized the father was assaulting his daughter.
“It was pretty angering. All the kids were screaming, yelling,” remarked Wagner, who restrained the father until police arrived.
Wagner described being able to pull the father’s arms off the daughter and hold him down until help came.
“The dad was on his back, and his daughter was on top of him, and he had her in a choke hold,” he explained.
“What I saw was the adult male had the teenager in a headlock, choking her from the back, so I removed his arm from her,” Wagner commented.
Mother took over after father was subdued
According to court documents, the girl’s mother, Zahraa Ali, was also attempting to choke her after her husband was stopped.
The daughter managed to escape with her boyfriend, fleeing to the main office while shouting, “My dad was trying to kill me,” triggering a school lockdown as staff barred the parents from entry, as per court documents.
Victor Barnes, the boyfriend’s father, told KOMO that there had been ongoing issues with the Ali family for months, including a previous physical altercation that led to a temporary protection order.
He informed the Daily Mail that the girl’s parents arrived at his residence with police that morning, demanding her whereabouts.
Barnes said he informed them she was not there and likely at school, then alerted his son via text.
He told the outlet that the girl ran away from home because the parents were trying to put her on a plane to Iraq.
Upon reaching the school, she went directly to her boyfriend’s class where the teacher assisted her.
School faces criticism of preventing attack after parents charged with attempted murder
Barnes criticized that although the school staff did find a safe place for her, they did not offer transport assistance, despite knowing the danger she faced.
“They know she’s in danger, they know her circumstances and situation, but they insist for her to take public transportation to get to her safe destination – without any type of chaperone” he said that the school allowed that duty to fall to his child.
When his son and the girl prepared to leave the school, her father attacked her. His son, alongside other teenagers, stepped in to help when Wagner arrived.
At that point, the mother also attempted to strangle her daughter, as the teens fought her off.
“This isn’t right, and the more we continue to allow these types of actions to take place in a society where what the climate is what it is right now post-election, there’s just no place for that type of activity anywhere,” Barnes remarked.
A lot of these stories exist, a lot of these stories are out here, some aren’t able to be heard for whatever reason,” he added. “I just want people to be aware these stories do exist.”
Ihsan faces charges of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree domestic assault, and fourth-degree assault.
Zahraa is charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree domestic assault, and second-degree burglary.
Their bonds are set at $100,000 and $200,000, and are thought to still remain in police custody.
