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Last year Amina's parents filed charges against their daughter's rapist, a man 10 years older than her but it was only recently that a judge in the northern city of Tangier decided that instead of punishing him, the two must be married.
The court's decision to forcibly marry Amina to her rapist was supposed to "resolve" the damage of sexual violation against her, but it led to more suffering in the unwelcoming home of her rapist/husband's family.
Traumatized by the painful experience of rape, Amina decided to end her life by consuming rat poison in the house of her husband's family, according to the Moroccan daily al-Massae.
According to the newspaper, this type of forced marriage is rooted in local rural traditions to safeguard the honor of girls who are raped.
Moroccan penal code exempts a rapist from punishment if he agrees to marry his victim.
Feminists have long demanded an amendment to this article.
Hafida Elbaz, director of the Women's Solidarity Association told al-Massae[sic] that the article provides an opportunity for a perpetrator to avoid punishment.
The story has widely spread on Twitter and on Facebook with many in Morocco demanding action against the judge who issued the ruling.
Reader Comments
What was the purpose of your comment, hjackson? It is rude and unfeeling and making light of a horrible situation. You sound pathological, are you? Do you hate women so much that you can make crass comments about the atrocities that happen to them insinuating that it's okay to kill themselves, just kill the perpetrator first?
Explain yourself ! Enlighten us on the purpose of your pathological comment !
It could be said that by doing the deed in their house, she did worse and marked their family for life. I'm only guessing, but how likely is the rest of the village to engage into affairs with them now? Unless they are 'birds of a feather'. Seems the separation has gone parabolic leading into the close.
If the national/federal authorities don't take action, they too will 'loose face', of course the girl is the necessary catalyst to get this ball rolling down this hill of hypocrisy.