Islamabad, Pakistan
CNN
—
A Pakistani court on Monday released the convicted rapist after he was “agreed” to marry the victim, his lawyer said.
Daulat Khan, 23, was convicted in May of raping a deaf, 36-year-old woman in the northeast district of Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2020, according to attorney Amjad Ali Khan. rice field.
He was sentenced to life in prison and fined 100,000 rupees (about $440), said a lawyer unrelated to his client.
The woman later gave birth to a child as a result of the rape, the lawyer added.
On Monday, the Peshawar High Court ruled that the two had been legally released in early December following an out-of-court settlement made by a local “Jirga”, a council of elderly men who make decisions under Shariah law. After getting married, he acquitted Daulat Khan.
Sharia, also known as Islamic law, is an interpretation of sacred texts and traditions of faith that varies widely across the Islamic world.
Swat is a largely rural and conservative neighborhood, often with deep roots in patriarchy and misogyny. Attitudes Still Pervasive. In 2012, activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban in Swat for defying orders to attend school.
It is not uncommon for jirgas to settle cases on so-called taboo issues such as out-of-wedlock births in many parts of Pakistan. Critics have long accused the jirga of perpetuating a culture of victim shaming, especially when it comes to issues of rape and sexual assault.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called the Peshawar Court’s ruling a “serious violation of the law” and a “miscarriage of justice.”
“HRCP urges states to appeal the ruling and uphold their commitment to women’s rights,” it said in a statement.
According to the HRCP report, more than 5,200 women were reportedly raped in Pakistan in 2021, but activists say the number could be much higher as fear often causes crimes to be reported. says that there is
In Pakistan, corruption within the courts and police is exacerbating the problem, experts say.
About 60 percent of rape victims withdraw their complaints, according to the Legal Aid Society, a non-governmental organization that provides legal assistance to disadvantaged people.
In December 2020, Pakistan strengthened its rape law and created a special court to try cases within four months and provide women with medical examinations within six hours of a complaint being filed.
But activists say Pakistan continues to disappoint women, leaving many vulnerable to assault due to the lack of a nationwide law criminalizing domestic violence.
The brother of murdered social media star Kandir Baloch was released by a Pakistani appeals court in February, three years after he was convicted of killing her for “bringing dishonor” to his family. I was.
So-called “honour killings” in Pakistan usually involve the murder of women by relatives who believe they have brought shame to their families. At the time of Baloch’s murder, Pakistani law allowed the victim’s family to pardon the convicted murderer.
