Trial for mum, daughter over alleged Islamic State time
Tara Cosoleto |
Two accused ISIS brides have been committed to stand trial as their cases are fast-tracked to the Supreme Court.
Kawsar Ahmad, 54, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link on Friday as they entered their “not guilty” pleas.
The two women were charged with slavery offences in May after returning to Australia with other family members of former Islamic State fighters.
It’s alleged Kawsar migrated to the Middle Eastern country to join IS with her husband Mohammed, Zeinab and their other children about January 2015.
It’s alleged while in Syria in 2017, Mohammed bought a teenage girl as a slave for $US10,000.
The girl was repeatedly raped and beaten by Mohammed, including an incident where she was hit and dragged down two flights of stairs by the hair, the court was told.
It’s alleged Kawsar agreed to the purchase and then treated the girl badly, often threatening her with beatings or the prospect of being sold.
Prosecutors do not accuse Zeinab of assaulting the girl but the teen has claimed she was “treated very badly” by the younger woman.
The two women each made a bid for bail in June but only Kawsar was successful, with a magistrate finding she posed a very low risk to the community.
Zeinab was refused bail because there was no compelling evidence she had renounced the terrorist group.
Kawsar watched Friday’s court hearing on a video link from home while Zeinab appeared remotely from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
The two women only spoke during the brief hearing to confirm their pleas of “not guilty”.
Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan said the Victorian Supreme Court had accepted their cases under the so-called “fast-track” procedure.
Judge Hannan formally committed the Ahmads to stand trial in the higher court, with a directions hearing set down for August.
Kawsar’s bail was extended to her Supreme Court date, with conditions including a prohibition from attending any mosques to continue.
Zeinab was remanded in custody after not making any further bail applications.
AAP