Harry Potter actress Afshan Azad beaten for having Hindu boyfriend
An actress who appeared in four of the Harry Potter films had to flee her family home after she was beaten and branded a "slag" by her brother for going out with a non-Muslim boy.
A court heard yesterday how Afshan Azad, 22, who plays Hogwarts student Padma Patil in the Harry Potter films, climbed out of her bedroom window and left her home city of Manchester because she believed her father was going to kill her.
The police arrested and charged her father, Abul Azad, 54, and brother, Ashraf, 28 in July following the "unpleasant attack".
Prosecutor Richard Vardon QC said the reason behind the assault was “her association with a Hindu man, that apparently being disapproved of by her family who are Muslim.â€
Vardon said Abul Azad had been woken up by his son, Ashraf, shouting “Sort out your daughter! She’s a slag†and urging him to “Just kill her!â€.
The actress was not in court having refused to testify against her father for fear that “things would be much worse†if he was brought to trial. But the prosecution said that she feared her father might kill her "because he did not want his sons to have her blood on their hands".
Both her father and brother were cleared of making threats to kill Afshan. But Ashraf pleaded guilty to assault and will be sentenced in January, while Abul was bound over for £500 to keep the peace for 12 months.
Afshan Azad won the part of identical twin and witch Padma Patil back in 2004 when casting agents visited her school in Manchester.
An actress who appeared in four of the Harry Potter films had to flee her family home after she was beaten and branded a "slag" by her brother for going out with a non-Muslim boy.
A court heard yesterday how Afshan Azad, 22, who plays Hogwarts student Padma Patil in the Harry Potter films, climbed out of her bedroom window and left her home city of Manchester because she believed her father was going to kill her.
The police arrested and charged her father, Abul Azad, 54, and brother, Ashraf, 28 in July following the "unpleasant attack".
Prosecutor Richard Vardon QC said the reason behind the assault was “her association with a Hindu man, that apparently being disapproved of by her family who are Muslim.â€
Vardon said Abul Azad had been woken up by his son, Ashraf, shouting “Sort out your daughter! She’s a slag†and urging him to “Just kill her!â€.
The actress was not in court having refused to testify against her father for fear that “things would be much worse†if he was brought to trial. But the prosecution said that she feared her father might kill her "because he did not want his sons to have her blood on their hands".
Both her father and brother were cleared of making threats to kill Afshan. But Ashraf pleaded guilty to assault and will be sentenced in January, while Abul was bound over for £500 to keep the peace for 12 months.
Afshan Azad won the part of identical twin and witch Padma Patil back in 2004 when casting agents visited her school in Manchester.
