Moroccan Teen to Marry Rapist Commits Suicide

THE NEWS A recent news struck Morocco this past few days because a girl named Amina al-Filali drank a deadly liquid that is known to be a rat poison because she was forced to be married to the man who raped her. Amina, being pressured by a buttoned-down society, the law and her mother. She had to marry a man who has raped and beaten her in and out of their marriage. Because she was distressed by the excruciating experience of rape and the beating of her husband and her husbands family she only had one choice to escape the torment shes experiencing suicide. The victim was forced to marry her rapist because her loss of virginity was considered to be a dishonor to her family; especially she is under 18 years old. In many conservative societies, a daughter having a sexual intercourse outside marriage brings a big disgrace to a family's honor, and that it can only be solutioned by marrying both parties.

THE PRESSURE Her family The families of the rape victims push their daughters to marry their rapists because it is a way to escape scandal.

Aminas mother, Zohrah Filali

had to let her daughter marry the rapist because she wanted her daughter to have a future and have a family of her own

Moroccan families fear that their daughters will never find a husband because they were raped. After her mother knew that Amina was raped, she took Amina with her to the house of the rapist and there demanded that they should get married. Not considering of how it happened, her mother forced her daughter to marry the man or else, Aminas life would be over. According to Zohrah, they would be the butt of all the jokes of their neighbor. The Court Lahsan al-Filali, the father of Amina, said in an interview that even from the start of the case, it was the court officials suggestion that the two should be married. He added that he didnt agree about the marriage of Amina and her rapist, instead the man should be jailed. But the Court of Family Affairs forced him to agree to the marriage. The Law Aminas family had to let this girl marry her because they are following Moroccos Penal Code that obliges a raped girl the man who raped her.
Under Moroccan law, rape is punished by by five to 10 years in prison or between 10 and 20 years if the victim is a minor.

And there is an article under it that states:

that when an adult corrupts a minor without the use of violence, threat, or fraud, the sentence is five years of imprisonment, whether or not there has been sexual intercourse; further, if the minor has married the adult, then the adult can only be tried if the minors legal guardians press charges and obtain an annulment. Commentators look at this law as a loophole of families to remove the shame their daughter somewhat brought to them.

CONCERNED PEOPLE The painful suffering, the rape, the beating and the death of Amina al-Filali didnt leave the people uncaring. The people were stood up, their protests spread all over the country. Other countriess mainstream media and the social media expressed their repugnance at Aminas issue. Activists made petitions online; they even went out to streets to protest about the rapemarriage law.

An online appeal, a Facebook page and innumerable tweets uttered horror over the suicide of Amina alFilali. In Facebook, a fan page named We are all Amina Filali has been set up and a signature campaign was made as an online petition to the Moroccan government to end the law or practice of marrying rapists and victims. Here is a sentiment of a concerned person named Abadila, Maaelaynine. Amina, 16, was triply violated, by her rapist, by tradition and by Article 475 of the Moroccan law, tweeted activist Abadila Maaelaynine. Pictures of Amina were held up as people chant, Lets end the marriage of minors in Arabic.