Bahrain _ Bahraini Womens Union along with other feminists launched yesterday a three hour campaign on Twitter site, under the hash tag (her right), to urge the members of Shura Council to repeal article 353 of the Penal Code, which the council will vote on Sunday.
Article 353 of the penal code allows rapists to escape punishment if they marry their victim; five members of the Shura Council offered a proposal to repeal the law.
Under the hashtag her right Eman AL SHaikh tweeted Article 353 does not address the issue of rape and does not provide protection for women from abuse, as it only ensures the offender impunity
Maryam Abudees tweeted Rapist is not fit to be a husband or a son in law nor a trusted father, Stop rewarding rapists by marrying him to the victims.
Another tweet said Victims under pressure from parents and fear from the community agree to marry their rapist is like rewarding criminals.
Zainab Derazi said Bahraini women made huge steps toward their freedom, so let laws be compatible with those freedoms not against them
Hussein Mohamed also said that article 353 of the Penal Code is an indirect invitation to rape, allowing any savage to rape a girl and marry her to escape punishment.
Shura Council discussed on Sunday (8th May this year) a proposal to repeal the article 353 of the Bahraini Penal which allows rapists to escape punishment if they marry their victim.
In the explanatory memorandum, proponents said that most marriages between the rapist and the victims do not last. However, the charges filed by the victim are dropped even when no legitimate reasons given for divorce.
The proponents continued public prosecutor, according to the law, has no right to invoke the implementation of punishment in cases of gang rape, and similarly for victim demanding perpetrators be punished after divorce.
Proponents suggested the abolition of the article in the Penal Code, because it violates internationally established principles for the protection of victims and the provision of correct sentences to perpetrators , which allows offenders to remain as threat to other victims because no criminal record are issued under the impunity.
The proponents are members of shura council: Khalid Muslim, Khamis Al Rumaihi, Hamad Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Abdulaziz Al ajman Fatima Abdul Jabbar Kooheji.
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