Afghan Woman Beheaded, Refused to Sleep With Man

A 20-year-old Afghan woman was beheaded for refusing to sleep with a man to comply with her husband and his family's plan to make her a prostitute, according to police. The wanna-be customer, Najibullah, and the in-laws and husband of the victim Mah Gul have been arrested for the murder, reports AFP. "When Gul's husband left for his bakery, I came down and with the help of her mother-in-law killed her with a knife," says Najibullah.

The regional director of the government-backed human rights commission in western Afghanistan says violence against women has dramatically increased in the region recently. "So far this year we have registered 100 cases of violence against women in the western region," he says, adding that many cases go unreported. "At least in Gul's case the murderer has been brought to justice." (More crime stories.)