Pak Christian girl held for blasphemy, found to be a minor

Islamabad: The lawyer for a Pakistani Christian girl accused of blasphemy says a medical review has determined that the girl is a minor. Tahir Naveed Chaudhry says a report by a medical board investigating the age and mental state of the girl determined she was between 13 and 14.

Chaudhry says that means her case will be heard under Pakistan’s juvenile court system, which is generally more lenient toward defendants. [caption id=“attachment_433556” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] The lawyer also said Tuesday the board determined her mental state did not correspond to her age. It was not clear whether that meant she was mentally impaired. Blasphemy is a serious issue in Pakistan and can be punished with life in prison or even death. The girl was accused by a neighbor of burning pages of a Quran, Islam’s holy book. AP