Last year, when 16-year-old Amina al-Filali poisoned herself to get out of a marriage to a 23-year-old man who raped her, the world was shocked.
Now the Moroccan government has finally announced plans to change the penal code to outlaw the traditional practice of allowing accused rapists of marrying their victims to avoid punishment.
Al-Filali was one of many who are usually forced by their family and the law to get married, even under the circumstance of rape, so as to not dishonor the family.
Women’s rights activists welcomed Justice Minister Mustapha Ramid’s announcement, but argued that it does not do enough to protect women from violence in the African country.
In fact, the law does not recognize certain forms of violence against women, including conjugal rape. Fifty percent of attacks against women occur in conjugal relations.
According to the Huffington Post:
A paragraph in Article 475 of the penal code allows those convicted of “corruption” or “kidnapping” of a minor to go free if they marry their victim and the practice was encouraged by judges to spare family shame.
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While the marriage age is officially 18, judges usually approve much younger unions in this deeply traditional country of 32 million with high illiteracy and poverty.
Looks like they have a long road ahead of them, but we’re glad Morocco is taking the first step to ensuring that women are protected.
SOURCE: Huffington Post
