UP: Teen-rape victim forced to marry her rapist
What's the story
In a heart-rending case, the 14-year-old rape victim from UP who gave birth to a child last year was married off to her rapist after the intervention of elders. The incident got highlighted as the girl was denied permission to abort her foetus by the courts. Abortions are allowed till 20 weeks under law. The girl moved to the accused man's home last fortnight.
Rape victim's ordeal
Parents cannot feed me and my child, says rape survivor
The rape survivor hailing from Bareilly said that her parents cannot bear the expenses of her and her child, therefore she married her accused. She added that only her basic requirements were being fulfilled here. The rape case which had been filed by the girl earlier and was still pending, will now be dismissed as the couple will register their social marriage.
Reactions
Accused and rape victim's father react over the marriage
The teen rape survivor's father expressed helplessness saying it was difficult to keep fighting the case and added that he married his daughter on the assurance of the village elders and boy's family. Meanwhile, the accused said that he wanted to rectify his mistake by accepting the girl and his child.
Cases
A look at cases of rape victims marrying the accused
Cases of rape victims forced to marry their perpetrators have become increasingly common. Here's taking a look at a few such cases. Earlier in May this year, the panchayat of Shahkhurd village in UP's Shahjahanpur ordered a rape survivor to marry her accused terming it as 'apt-justice'. In a similar case in 2013, Rajasthan High Court orderred a rape accused to marry the victim.