Jordanian parliament repeals ‘marry the rapist’ clause

1 August 2017, 2:30 pm

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The lower house of Jordan’s parliament votes to scrap a provision in the kingdom’s penal code that allowed a rapist to escape punishment if he married his victim.

The vote is being hailed as a major step forward for women in the conservative kingdom.

“This is a victory for the women’s movement and human rights movement in Jordan,” says Salma Nims, the secretary general of the Jordanian National Commission for Women.

Despite a pro-Western political orientation outlook and cosmopolitan urban elites, many areas of Jordan remain socially conservative, with entrenched notions of “family honor.”

This includes the belief that having a rape victim in the family is shameful, and that such “shame” can be expunged through marriage.

— AP