A DISTURBING law allowing men to avoid punishment for raping young girls by marrying their victims is set to be introduced to parliament in Turkey.
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Lawmakers are planning to introduce the bill at the end of January.
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The People’s Democrat Party is warning the legislation would legitimise child marriage and statutory rape, and pave the way for child sexual exploitation.
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Suad Abu-Dayyeh, a campaigner for Equality Now told The Independent: “I applaud the brave work of women’s rights campaigners in Turkey who are taking a stand against this discriminatory bill and pushing back again regressive forces that are seeking to remove current legal protections for girls.
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“Similar ‘marry-your-rapist’ legal provisions have been on the statute books of countries across the Middle East and North Africa.
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“Thanks to years of campaigning by women’s rights activists and lawmakers, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Palestine have all removed these loopholes in recent years.
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“Rather than attempting to introduce legislation that harms women’s rights and protections, Turkish lawmakers should take heed of these advances in repealing gender discriminatory laws.”
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While the legal age of consent is 18 in Turkey, a 2018 government report on child marriage estimates a total of 482,908 girls were married in the last decade.
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Violence against women and girls is prevalent in Turkey – with 38 per cent of Turkish women having suffered physical or sexual violence from a partner, according to the United Nations.
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H/T The Sun