Tunisians Protest Law That Allows Men Who Rape Underage Girls To Marry Their Victims Instead Of Being Punished

On December 13, 2016, a lower court in northwestern Tunisia granted a 21-year-old man legal permission to marry a 13-year-old girl he had raped and impregnated. The court decision was in accordance with Article 227(a) of the Tunisian criminal code, which states that if a rapist weds his victim, all legal proceedings in the rape case against him are terminated. It should be noted that in Tunisia, the age of consent for sexual relations is 13.