A Malaysian man charged with raping a 14-year-old girl has avoided prison after marrying his victim, sparking anger from rights groups and calls for bans on child marriage.
Ahmad Syukri Yusuf, 22, faced 30 years in prison and being whipped after he was charged with statutory rape of the girl.
But he has avoided the sentence after marrying the teenager under Islamic law.
Prosecutor Ahmad Fariz Abdul Hamid said a court in Kuching, in Malaysia’s eastern state of Sarawak, ruled the case need no longer continue after a marriage certificate was produced and the girl withdrew the complaint.
Under Malaysia’s civil laws, the minimum age for marriage is 18, but under Sharia law, Islamic courts can grant permission to Muslims under 16, allowing them to marry as children.
The ruling has prompted outrage from women’s rights groups.
Speaking to Reuters, Kuala Lumpur-based Women’s Aid Organization spokeswoman Tan Heang Lee said: “It is very common for rapists to marry their survivors, especially when they are underage, to cover up their crime,“
“There is usually a high risk in this kind of cases that these girls will be subject to a lifetime of sexual abuse. Her marriage is basically an extension to rape,” she added.
(Sourced from agencies, Feature image courtesy:thepeninsulaqatar.com)
