Wed to Rapist for Impunity in Sexual Abuse Cases to Return

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The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has submitted to parliament a law draft prescribing impunity for sexual abusers if they get married with their victims.

The draft requests that in case the aggressor gets married with his/her victim in sexual abuse cases, the announcement of the verdict be deferred or no penalty be imposed.

The draft includes the crimes committed only until November 16, 2016.

The penalty will be inflicted only in cases of divorces that occur due to “fault of perpetrator”.

It was stated that the draft will be voted again since it couldn’t reach sufficient vote in the poll at parliament yesterday (November 17).

The article prescribing impunity in case of the perpetrator getting married with the victim was removed from the Turkish Penal Code in 2005 after long efforts of women attorneys.

Minister of Justice Bozdağ: This is a step protecting children

Claiming that it was the AKP that has taken the most important steps in preventing juvenile marriages in Turkey, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ advocated that the draft doesn’t involve rapists and “it intends to put an end to drama of men and women who are forced to get married by imposition of their families”.

Stating that criticisms twist the draft, Bozdağ said “Enforcing it retrospectively is out of question. This is just a retrospective enforcement”.

“It is not possible for rapists to benefit from this. A step has been taken to protect girls and boys who were victimized by their families [by being forced to get married]”. (ÇT/TK)