A Court Sent An 18-Year-Old Woman To Jail After She Was Gang-Raped By 7 Men
An Ethiopian woman who says she was gang-raped in Sudan has been convicted of "indecent acts".
By Sadho Ram — 08 Mar 2014, 04:52 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
A pregnant teenager who was gang-raped and ignored when she tried to report the crime has been convicted of "indecent acts" by a court in Sudan
The woman of 18 was three months' pregnant at the time of the alleged attack. She was arrested after video of her allegedly being sexually abused was circulated on social media.
The court accused the men of adultery and indecent acts, and sentenced them to lashes and fines
Three men who admitted having sex with the woman and two who distributed the video were reportedly sentenced to being whipped.
theguardian.com
The three were each sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery, while two got 40 lashes for distributing indecent material.
Of the seven men implicated in the assault, six received convictions ranging from adultery to distributing indecent material and received sentences of lashes; one man was set free due to insufficient evidence.
She was searching for a new home when she was lured to an empty property in the capital, Khartoum, and attacked by seven men and gang-raped
An Ethiopian teenager who was gang-raped in Sudan has been convicted for "indecent acts". The 18-year-old victim was three months pregnant at the time of the attack. She was arrested after film of her assault was posted online, reports the BBC.
nydailynews.com
The incident was filmed by the perpetrators as a joke, and then spread via social media. As a result, the police seized six of the perpetrators on 15 January this year.
allafrica.com
The woman, who is now nine months pregnant, was initially charged with adultery and faced a possible sentence of death by stoning
The accused woman, now nine months pregnant, told the court that she was married and two months pregnant when the rape occurred. "But I was separated from my husband for some time."
This fact made it possible for her to dodge the possible sentence of death by stoning, which can only be levelled against a married person accused of adultery.
theguardian.com
One of the perpetrators told the court that 'she insisted to be raped'
One of the perpetrators told the court that in the day of the incident, he and the others had tried to help the woman find a rental house. When they passed by one of their own houses, which was for rent, the mother of another accused man "did not agree with the girl".
allafrica.com
Heading on to the market, the accused "asked to have sex with her and she agreed, but asked 50 SDG ($8,70). I granted her 20 Sudanese pounds, but the girl denied, saying she was satisfied having sex with the young men. She insisted to be raped by us".
tadias.comActivists are criticizing the recent court ruling for the message it sends to rape victims
"This verdict reflects the substantial challenges in enabling victims of sexual violence to pursue justice," Hala Elkarib, a regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, said in a statement. "It will also serve to prevent future victims from speaking out and seeking assistance and entrenches a culture of impunity for perpetrators.”
dailymail.co.uk
Sudanese internally displaced persons (IDPs). The SIHA network said: 'Silence on crimes of sexual violence committed against IDPs, migrants and impoverished women in Sudan has been a pattern for years.'
Image via guim.co.ukSudanese law is based on Sharia and women have been punished for wearing trousers or not covering their hair.