Rape: Minor girl murders husband
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1 states. "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," and Article 4 states that "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude..." In 1995 at the UN Convention on Women's Rights in Beijing, a group of noble women made sure that the forthcoming official UN document declared marital rape to be a crime against women and a convictable offense. Marital rape was declared a fundamental violation of human rights. Marital rape remains one of the most taboo subjects anywhere in any country. While people and women in particular may talk about so many issues, but the intimate sexual activities of married couples are most often not discussed with others – even with best friends. It is a taboo subject even in so-called liberated western countries. The bottom line is, international law considers marital rape a crime. We need to find a way to enforce international law. No one should be forced to marry against her will. And the right to study should be a right as fundamental as the right to food and water. The research shows that rape perpetrated by the husband is no less traumatizing than the rape perpetrated by the stranger. Both are acts of pure violence carried out to degrade the woman. Hence the husband, like the stranger, should be put in prison.
The Deccan Herald - Hyderabad
Monday, May 22, 2006
A minor girl, who was forced into marriage by her parents and who was raped by her husband, killed him when he tried to rape her again here on Saturday. She is in police custody.
The girl, who is said to be around 15 or 16 years old, told the police that she wanted to study and was against marriage. But her family forced her and married her off to her cousin Shivraj (30) last year.
But she insisted on finishing her school and remained in her village in Mahbubnagar to finish the 10th class. She passed with Second Class last month.
Her husband who runs a mithai shop in Ramantapur locality, pressurised her parents to send her to him as she had finished school. Her pleas to study further were rejected and she was forcibly brought by her parents to the city and left with her husband. She tried to run away but was again brought back.
According to the girl, she was raped by her husband a few times. On Friday she kept a knife with her and wanted to threaten him with it to keep him off.
However, she told the police she did not remember how it happened. When he tried to force himself upon her she stabbed him. When he collapsed she ran to the neighbours and with their help took him to Osmania Hospital where he died. Police said autopsy showed there was alcohol in Shivraj’s stomach.
According to legal experts here, since the girl is a minor she will be tried in a juvenile court under Juvenile Justice Act. If proved guilty she will be sent to special schools for reformation or put in a juvenile home and would be allowed to continue her studies.
Women’s activists said the marriage is null and void since the girl is a minor and she should be treated as a victim of rape who acted in self-defence.