Tunisian Court Forces 13-Year-Old Girl To Marry Relative Of Man Who Got Her Pregnant.
A Tunisian court has approved the marriage of a 13-year-old girl to a 20-year-old relative who made her pregnant. The marriage between the girl and her brother-in-law took place in the region of Kef, in Tunisia’s northwest, in presence of their parents who had tried to stop the wedding.
A judge approved of their marriage last Tuesday relying on article 227 in the Tunisian Criminal Code which stipulates that while sex with a girl under 15 without the use of force is punishable by six years in prison, the culprit can halt proceedings by marrying the victim.
‘In that particular case, the judge was simply abiding the law, which is definitely an antiquated law,’ a fellow court judge, who did not want to be named because they are not authorized to speak with media, told CNN.
‘Tunisia was one of the first countries in the region to ratify international treaties that guarantee the rights of children. However this law was never amended. It’s up to the judge to decide whether to apply it or not,’ the judge said.
The decision has sparked debate in Tunisia over the law.
Dozens of people staged a protest outside parliament on Wednesday, denouncing Article 227 as a ‘backward’ piece of legislation that should be revoked.
A judge approved of their marriage last Tuesday relying on article 227 in the Tunisian Criminal Code which stipulates that while sex with a girl under 15 without the use of force is punishable by six years in prison, the culprit can halt proceedings by marrying the victim.
‘In that particular case, the judge was simply abiding the law, which is definitely an antiquated law,’ a fellow court judge, who did not want to be named because they are not authorized to speak with media, told CNN.
‘Tunisia was one of the first countries in the region to ratify international treaties that guarantee the rights of children. However this law was never amended. It’s up to the judge to decide whether to apply it or not,’ the judge said.
The decision has sparked debate in Tunisia over the law.
Dozens of people staged a protest outside parliament on Wednesday, denouncing Article 227 as a ‘backward’ piece of legislation that should be revoked.
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