Comment on Jordan to cancel 'marry the victim' clause shielding rapists

Jordan to cancel 'marry the victim' clause shielding rapists

A young woman was taken into protective custody after being stabbed 17 times by a brother who accused her of bringing "shame" to the family for running away from an abusive husband. Jail, forced marriage or the risk of getting killed by family members — these are some of the harsh choices still faced by victims of abuse or sexual violence in Jordan. Women's rights advocates say repealing Article 308 would be a victory, but that more work lies ahead in a society with deeply rooted customs of patriarchy and a legal system that often goes easy on the male perpetrators. The "marry the rapist" provision has been repealed in Egypt and Morocco, but remains on the books in Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Algeria and the Palestinian territories, according to the international group Human Rights Watch. Judge Jehad al-Duradi, who handles sexual violence cases at Jordan's main criminal court, said women who agree to marry their attackers often act out of desperation. Another article says a convicted killer could receive as little as a year in prison if he acts in a "state of great fury resulting from an unlawful and dangerous act" by the victim. Al-Duradi said Jordanian courts have imposed harsher punishment for such crimes in recent years; no convicted killer has received a sentence of less than 10 years in prison since 2010. Sadeq al-Omari, a senior official in the prison system, said protective custody is often the only solution, adding that "the right to life is more important than the right to freedom."

 

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