Pakistan: Peshawar HC releases rapist after 'agreement' to marry his victim

A Peshawar High Court has released a rapist after it was "agreed" he would marry his victim, CNN reported citing his lawyer. Rights activists have expressed outrage over the decision saying that the ruling risks normalizing sexual violence in Pakistan.

Daulat Khan, 23 was convicted in May of raping the deaf woman, 36, in 2020 in the Swat region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, CNN reported citing his lawyer Amjad Ali Khan. The court had sentenced Daulat Khan to life in prison and asked him to pay a fine of around USD 440 (Rupees 100,000), according to the lawyer, who is not related to the convict.

The lawyer revealed that the woman later gave birth to a child after the rape. On Monday, the Peshawar High Court acquitted Daulat Khan after the two got legally married in December following an out-of-court settlement made by a local "jirga", a council of elderly men who make decisions based on Sharia law, according to CNN.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has described the Peshawar court's decision as a "gross violation of law" and a "miscarriage of justice." It has called on the state to appeal against the court's decision and uphold its commitment to women's rights.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report, more than 5,200 women were reported to have been raped in Pakistan in 2021, according to CNN. However, activists claimed that the number could be much higher as the crime often goes under-reported due to fear.

In December 2020, Pakistan hardened its rape laws to establish a special court to hold trials for cases within four months and give medical examinations to women within six hours of a complaint being made, as per the CNN report. However, activists have claimed that Pakistan continues to fail its women and does not have a nationwide law which criminalizes domestic violence.

( With inputs from ANI )