Stabbing victim tells of a life shattered

Woman attacked by friend of ex-husband haunted by injuries, loss of independence

For Anila Malik, life in her dream world is idyllic.

But when she awakens from her nightly slumber, the reality of her nightmare world reappears, court heard Thursday.

“When I sleep at night, I dream that I am a normal person, seeking nothing more than happiness and simplicity in life,” Malik wrote in a victim-impact statement, read in court by Crown prosecutor Marta Juzwiak.

“Then I get up from my dream and what stares back at me (is) the pain of my hands and the scars on my neck and face,” she said.

The statement was read in as part of the sentencing hearing for Nurdin Allaudin Dossa, a friend of the victim’s ex-husband, who inexplicably attacked Malik in her northeast Calgary home on Nov. 17, 2016.

Dossa, 69, pleaded guilty last November to aggravated assault in connection with the unprovoked attack, which left Malik with scars to her face and neck after he pinned her to the floor and repeatedly stabbed her.

The assault also left her with extremely limited use of both her hands.

Before the attack, Malik said she had carved out a comfortable life in her adopted country.

“Ever since I am in Canada, I have been an independent person and have learned to take care of myself,” she said.

“I worked hard, earned a decent living and had my own home to live in.

“Despite all the hardships I have encountered in my life, I wanted for myself the dignity to live a self-provided decent life.

“Today, I am forced to turn to the government for financial assistance, something I have never done before,” Malik wrote.

Her daughter, who was credited with helping save her mother’s life, also provided a victim-impact statement.

The 12-year-old, who can’t be identified under a court order, said the attack has made her withdraw from society.

“After this tragic incident I started to hang out with people less,” she wrote.

Juzwiak suggested a sentence of seven to 10 years would be appropriate. Defence counsel David Chow told provincial court Judge Bruce Fraser something in the range of four to seven years would be an adequate punishment.

Fraser will hand down a sentence next week.