Some time ago there was a topic that had been up for discussion on the Speak for Change Facebook page where it was discussed whether the rape victim be married to their rapist? This was triggered by an actual decision taken in Afghanistan, (not surprisingly by an all-male jury). From analyzing majority of the comments the conclusion was that most of the people were in favor of this decision.
There were two sides of the arguments regarding this topic. One of the sides argued why make the girl suffer even further after all she has gone through? Marrying and then living with the man who has raped her will only remind her of the torture she had been put through every single day of her remaining life.
It’s not like if she marries him he will become a good a responsible person all of a sudden but chances are he will continue to abuse her even after that which is why it is a horribly unfair, unjust and wrong decision.
The other side of the argument was that a girl who has been raped will never be accepted by another man or the society which is why she should be married to her rapist. That will reinforce her honor, give her financial security and will even make the rapist responsible for fixing the mess he had created by accepting his responsibilities as a husband.
My opinion was that it is a highly inappropriate choice to make on the part of society and those who think in this manner are obviously inconsiderate. I mean how many of you would marry of your daughter to their rapists if God forbid this had happened with them? It is easy to pass judgments and make decisions but only the victim knows what they have to deal with at the hands of this prejudiced society.
On this note I would like to highlight one particular incident that had taken place very recently in Morocco, hoping to change the minds of those who support marrying a rape victim to her rapist.
A 16 year old girl Amina Filali who was forcefully married to her abuser, and was unable to bear the torture of this situation committed suicide by consuming rat poison.
Under the Morocco’s penal code the “kidnapper” of a minor is allowed to marry the victim to escape prosecution. This same law had been exploited and used to marry off rapists to the victims, like in Amina Filali’s case. This law only applies if the victim and both families give consent which was clearly not the case here.
It is obvious that Moroccon law plays to the morality of the public but not the victims of brutal crimes. The father of the girl had told journalists in an interview that the court literally forced marriage upon his daughter even after the rapist had refused. He only agreed to it to save himself from the penalty of having to live in prison for about ten to twenty years.
Amina had complained to her mother several times about being beaten up by her husband but her mother asked her to remain silent and be patient. When Amina could take it no more she ended her life.
What kind of a selfish mother would compromise her daughter’s wellbeing for the sake of keeping her ‘respect’ among the eyes of the public?
I would now like to ask those who favor marrying girls off to rapists to ‘regain’ their honor if after the case of Amina Filali they still stand by the same opinion? Do you really think a rapist will change after being married off to the girl he abused? Getting him married to her is like giving him a present rather than strict punishment which he deserves for his crime? Don’t you agree?
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