Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Unreported Incidents of Rape

There are many cases of rape, torture and all kinds of violence against women in areas outside the capital, provincial and district centers that go unreported. A recent incident had been resolved by local elders in the traditional conflict resolution process in Balkh Province. A teenage girl was kidnapped and raped. Her parents wanted to kill her, but local human right activists intervened through the conflict resolving councils and saved the life of a victim of rape while the boy who had committed this heinous crime was fined some amount of money and let go without any legal punishment.

There are dozens of such cases that go unreported. People do not want to report such incidents as they are considered the matter to honor to be resolved mutually, without any third-party, the government, court or media knowing about it. In most of the cases we come to know that the rapists have fled the scene or could not be arrested.

Why do such cases occur increasingly? Regardless of the brutality committed, one of the major reasons behind such cases is that yet none of the rapists have been punished and it has encouraged perpetuators of such crimes.

Corruption and lawlessness are other major reasons in this regard. In most cases police have been failed to arrest the criminal while in some other cases rapists have been released after paying "cash". It is feared dozens of child rape cases occur across the country most of which are not reported due to certain reasons including the corruption and honor. While another factor in this regard is that according to Sharia law for rape case to be validated, victims must provide four witnesses to prove the crime other than that the raped or victims are to face adultery charges. In such cases no one is ready to go in front of Court as witness as most are feared of the influence of rapists while many are beaten by the above mentioned law; therefore, people avoid reporting such cases for legal procedure and rely on the methods of local conflict resolution by passing the proper judicial process.

The Government is needed to take stern action making some cases as paradigm for the criminals in order to reduce such cases. Corruption should be eradicated. Raped family members should be encouraged to come before Court and penalize the criminals and anti-social elements. The cases of locally resolved issues should also be investigated.