Malappuram: The lesbian couple from Kondotty Sumayya Sherin and Afeefa C S have revealed they did not receive any support from the authorities in their struggle to live together.
Afeefa alleged she underwent a so-called 'conversion therapy'. She claimed the hospital in question used potent sedatives that left her unconscious for days adding that her family threatened her saying they would kill Sumayya if she did not withdraw from the relationship.
Sumayya and Afeefa described the hardship they suffered for the last five weeks in a video shared on the Instagram account of Vanaja Collective, an NGO working to support the LGBTQIA+ community. Both are under the care of the not-for-profit at the moment.
“We faced humiliation at the hands of the police, especially the women’s cell in Malappuram. The advocate and police officers at Puthencruz police station in Ernakulam treated the case as though it was a burden. The police did not swiftly act or help us to speed up the legal process,” Afeefa said.
Afeefa further shared details about the 'pseudoscientific attempts' she faced in order to change her sexual orientation at a Kozhikode hospital.
“My family admitted me at the Manohar Hospital in Kozhikode. There I was put through severe mental torture alongside threats as part of a so-called conversion treatment. They administered me with a high dose of sedatives; I did not know what was happening around me. They forced my testimony in the High Court in a habeas corpus writ,”Afeefa added.
The couple is also facing threats from a man who revealed himself as a family friend. As per the man's direction Afeefa's family later acted on the matter.
“He threatened us saying he could harm us if we revealed anything to the media. The person said he has a certain clout and he can target the Vanaja Collective. Though we have been moved now to a safer place from our home, the threat is still prevailing. We are not yet free to live as per our wishes as the relatives of Afeefa are still trying to influence us. We are not in a position to exactly say what would be our future,” Sumayya told Onmanorama.
Meantime, Vanaja Collective requested the authorities to ensure the safety of the girls and take action against the authorities and persons they mentioned in the video.
“We have received police protection for the girls as per the direction of the High Court. Sumayya has now joined a psychology course at IGNOU; we are planning to admit Afeefa to a degree course when she recovers. We are demanding legal action against the hospital in question and the authorities. We would definitely initiate legal action against the hospital and doctor who initiated the therapy once Afeefa regains health," Gargi H, secretary of Vanaja Collective told Onmanorma.
She added Afeefa has not recovered yet from the side effects of the sedatives.
