The recent decision to allow a rapist to go unpunished after he married his victim is a slap in the face of human rights. A local jirga facilitated an out-of-court settlement between the families of the victim and the offender. The ruling is a step backwards in terms of ensuring justice, and a step forward in normalising the rape culture. More than 21,000 women were reported to have been raped in just last four years and the unreported cases outnumbered the reported ones. The patriarchal mindset prevailing in all sections of society cannot be turned overnight, but providing justice to the victim is essential under all circumstances.

Source: Pakistan Today January 27, 2023 07:08 UTC