Moroccan Parliament Repeals Rape Marriage Law

It is official: the second clause of article 475 of the Penal Code was unanimously repealed on Wednesday afternoon by the Moroccan parliament.

The clause in question stipulated that when a rape victim marries her perpetrator, "he can no longer be prosecuted except by persons empowered to demand the annulment of the marriage and then only after the annulment has been proclaimed". This effectively allowed a rapist to escape prosecution if he married his underage victim.

This clause made international headlines in March 2012, when Amina al-Filali, 16, committed suicide after her forced marriage with the man who had raped her. An online petition calling for the removal of clause 2 of article 475 raised over a million signatures.

PN member Loubna Amhair, Member of the Moroccan Parliament, is glad that this article has been repealed: “The abolition of the article of shame known as article 475 and the amendment of the penal code is justice done to all victims of rape and a first step in our struggle against abusers and for a peaceful and safe society. Moroccans now feel safer knowing that legislation will no longer facilitate the task for rapists.”

Photo by islamicblogindia.