Parents re-arrested over Shafilea Ahmed killing

Shafilea Ahmed went missing from her family home in Warrington, Cheshire, in October 2003, sparking a major police search. The 17-year-old was studying locally and had wanted to become a lawyer.

Her decomposed body were found in the River Kent in the Lake District five months later.

After her death, police initially worked on the theory that she had been the victim of a so-called “honour killing” and arrested her parents, Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed, on suspicion of kidnapping.

But a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) investigation found there was no chance of anyone being convicted on the evidence.

Channel 4 News sources have confirmed the two people being held in custody over Shafilea’s murder are her parents.

A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: “A 50-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were arrested early this morning on suspicion of the murder of Shafilea Ahmed.”

Mr and Mrs Ahmed have always denied any involvement in their daughter’s death.

The family also denied rumours that they had been trying to force Shafilea into an arranged marriage. It was alleged that she had rejected a suitor during a trip to Pakistan. During that trip, the teenager drank a large quantity of bleach and was hospitalised.

'They told me they were deeply hurt by allegations against them'
I met Shafilea Ahmed’s parents several times after their daughter had disappeared from the family home in Warrington, writes Channel 4 News Midlands Correspondent Darshna Soni:
Mr and Mrs Ahmed always denied any involvement and told me they were deeply hurt by allegations against them.
Mr Ahmed works locally as a taxi driver and is well known in the area. Mrs Ahmed is a housewife. They both appeared friendly and answered all of my questions.
I asked the family about what had happened on the family holiday to Pakistan. Why had Shafilea drank bleach, and had this been an attempted suicide? Her parents told me there was an innocent explanation, that the teenager had drank it accidently when she mistook it for mouthwash.
Her parents did admit to me that the 17-year-old had run away from home before. “But all teenagers fall out with their family now and again,” said her father.
Shafilea had two sisters and a brother, and they told me they had all been close and that there hadn’t been any problems at home.

During their investigation into her death, Cheshire Police released several poems written by Shafilea, including one entitled “I feel trapped”. It also emerged that Shafilea had run away from the family home on previous occasions.

At the inquest into her death, the Coroner for East and South Cumbria, Ian Smith, recorded a verdict of “unlawful killing”, saying he was “convinced” that Shafilea had been “taken from her home” on the 11 or 12 September 2004 and “quickly disposed of” having been the victim of a “vile murder.” However, he said, he had no idea who the killer was.

Concluding the inquest, in January 2008, Mr Smith said: “Shafilea was the victim of a very vile murder.

“I believe she was taken from her home on the 11 of September (2003). I do not believe she ran away.”

Five other relatives of Shafilea were arrested by detectives investigating her murder, but all were released without charge.

Mr Ahmed told the inquest he last saw his daughter doing her homework on the night of her disappearance.

The Bradford-born teenager was reported missing a week later by a former school teacher.

Mr Ahmed said he did not report her missing after police dismissed his previous reports that she had disappeared in November 2002 and January 2003.

In his inquest evidence, Mr Ahmed said that such an arrangement needed the consent of the boy and girl. He said he accepted his daughter’s reply of “no way” when a potential suitor was mentioned.

Armed robbery
Last month it emerged that her youngster sister, Alisha, 22, was arrested on suspicion of an armed robbery at their family home.

Three men broke into the house and tied up Mrs Ahmed and four of her adult children. Mr Ahmed was out of the house at the time.

The thieves ransacked the house before fleeing with a quantity of cash and jewellery. Shortly afterwards, Alisha was arrested in connection with the incident. She was later bailed pending further inquiries.