A twenty-year sentence has been handed down to a mullah in an Afghan court. The man was found guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl known as Brishna. The girl has faced death threats from her community in the wake of her bringing suit against the man.
A Kabul judge handed down the sentence Saturday, hailed as a rare victory for women’s rights by support groups.
Hassina Sarwari, who runs a women’s shelter in Brishna’s province, said that the decision would most likely have been different except that the trial had been transferred from the girl’s village to Kabul.
Rape is often viewed as adultery in Afghanistan, where rape victims have been jailed themselves.
Brishna was violently raped last May in the village of Kunduz, Kunduz province.
While recovering in hospital, community members threatened her and her family, speaking of killing Brishna and dumping her in the river.
The threats of “honor killing” continued when Brishna was removed from the shelter by police and returned to her family.
Sarwani was also threatened by members of the girl’s family and powerful community members. She faces threats of “honor killing” for protecting Brishna.
By Sid Douglas
Photo: isafmedia