Martina Navratilova furious over reports of 'evil' Pakistan village council ordering 'revenge rape' of 16-year-old girl

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has expressed her outrage over a resurfaced report from 2017, detailing a horrific incident in which a Pakistani village council ordered the 'revenge rape' of a 16-year-old girl. Navratilova highlighted the ongoing issue of gender-based violence and the need for reform in traditional legal systems.

The incident in question took place in Multan, Pakistan, where an informal village council, known as a jirga or panchayat, ordered the rape of a teenage girl as retribution for her brother's alleged sexual assault of another girl.

According to reports, the village council was approached by a man who claimed that his 12-year-old sister had been raped by their cousin. In response, the council ordered the complainant to rape the sister of the accused.

The girl was forced to appear before the group and was raped in front of them and her parents. Medical examinations confirmed the rape in both cases, and police have since arrested 20 people involved in the incident.

On January 4, 2025, an X (formerly Twitter) user shared the report from 2017, prompting Navratilova to voice her condemnation, writing:

"Beyond insane. These men are evil. And it’s men who made these evil "laws"."

---

Martina Navratilova devastated by the report of a 9-year-old girl being forced to marry a 55-year-old man in Afghanistan

Martina Navratilova during the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards press conference (Image source: Getty)

Martina Navratilova has expressed her anger over a distressing video showing the forced marriage of a nine-year-old girl to a 55-year-old man in Afghanistan.

The issue of forced child marriages in Afghanistan has resurfaced due to a 2021 CNN report. This report highlighted the heart-wrenching story of nine-year-old Parwana, who was sold into marriage by her father to a 55-year-old Afghan man for 200,000 Afghanis (around $2,200) because of severe financial hardship.

The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion reshared the video on X (formerly Twitter) in December 2024, condemning the situation.

"Monsters, all of them who allow this," Martina Navratilova wrote.

Navratilova's post attracted a troubling remark that implied forced child marriages were comparable to same-sex unions as part of cultural or religious traditions. The Czech-American tennis legend responded with a sharp rebuttal, exposing the flawed comparison and ethical shortcomings of the statement, writing:

"F**k off. Comparing pedophilia and rape to two consenting adults who make a commitment to each other—you’re the sick one here."

In a separate comment, Martina Navratilova offered a sharp response to a critic who challenged women's efforts to confront oppression.