On August 15, 2004, 16-year-old Atefeh Rajabi was hung to death from a crane in the main square of Neka, Iran in front of the town's people to keep "society safe from acts against public morality."She was charged with allegedly having sex with an older man and, in the words of the judge, she had 'a sharp tongue.' The judge put the noose around her neck. After the execution, the town governor sent the judge a letter of congratulations.
An orphan, Atefeh "suffered years of brutal violence, exploitation and torture in the hands of relatives, local officials and plain strangers, and in a country where girls are the most vulnerable members of society, she had no one to go to for help."
Atefeh’s mother died when she was a child.
*Quoted information is from Iran Focus.