Two families in Pakistan have been arrested after it was found out that they agreed to what is called a “revenge rape.” Parents have agreed to let their daughter be raped after their son sexually assaulted a woman.
The son was accused of raping a woman from Pir Mahal on March 20, local reports stated. The suspect’s family then went over to the victim’s house to ask for pardon and hope that the mess could be swept under the rug. The victim’s family agreed to a reconciliation under one condition: they let the victim’s brother rape the suspect’s sister as well, Dawn reported.
In a joint meeting, 12 members of two families agreed to such horrific conditions. The victim’s brother then had sex with the suspect’s sister the following day. The families then prepared the legal documents that should prove to each other that there will be no charges filed. That’s when a police officer found out about the case.
Police subs-inspector Shaukat Ali Javed learned about the arrangement and told his superiors. The 12 who are under police custody also include village council members and elders. Four of the arrested were women, including the victim of the second rape.
This was not the first case of revenge rape in Pakistan. In July, police have arrested 25 village council members after ordering the rape of a 16-year-old girl to pay for the crime her brother had committed.
Revenge assaults, also known as wani, is supposed to be banned by law but somehow, some rural parts of Pakistan still practice this form of “atonement,” the Independent reported. Revenge assault s are part of a tradition that dates back to a hundred years back that was then passed down by local elders. Many villagers consider this route as a preferable option than having to go through complicated processes involving the legal system.
The practice of revenge rape gained worldwide attention in 2002 when a local council ordered to have a woman gang-raped as payback for her male relative’s crime. Human rights groups have already called for the end of sexual violence against women in Pakistan and in 2016, the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act was passed. Despite this, the crimes against women in Pakistan haven’t dwindled down, a report from the Aurat Foundation stated.
