Rape in the Valley
Rape is one of the most terrible of crimes and we are all sorry to hear about the case of two British women being attacked in the Jordan Valley. Because they are foreigners this has been highlighted in the media and I would like to say that ALL cases are pursued with the same diligence whatever the nationality of the victim. Recently a fifteen year old Jordanian girl was violently raped and the offender got the death penalty.
This is an appropriate moment to remind everyone how Jordan deals with these kinds of crimes.
Our Family Protection Department, which is a police department but has forensic doctors and social workers attached, deals with crimes of physical abuse (if the offender is a family member) and sexual offences (whoever the offender is). If abuse is reported (unless it is a total emergency) uniformed officers do not go to the house, social workers go or plain clothed police officers. The aim is to protect the family as there is usually just one guilty party and the rest are innocent victims even if they did not themselves have a crime committed against them. It is a very sensitive area which has to be treated with care and caution. As far as sexual crimes are concerned, they are pursued to the utmost in the courts.
Many are talking about crimes within the family and that the offender can get a lesser punishment if they claim family honour. I think it is up to us all to bring these points to prospective members of parliament and to get a change in the laws. The police and the justice system can only do what the law tells them and who are the lawmakers? The Parliament. I would suggest that we all lobby for the law which allows the family to drop charges against the offender (who is usually a family member) and that so called 'honour' crimes should be treated as plain murder (which has certain degrees).
If you need help or a crime has been committed against you which comes under the Family Protection Department, please remember how important physical evidence is which can prove innocence or guilt or, at least, that certain people were involved if they deny it.
Please call the Family Protection Department on the following numbers -
111
5815826 or 5815846
T
This is an appropriate moment to remind everyone how Jordan deals with these kinds of crimes.
Our Family Protection Department, which is a police department but has forensic doctors and social workers attached, deals with crimes of physical abuse (if the offender is a family member) and sexual offences (whoever the offender is). If abuse is reported (unless it is a total emergency) uniformed officers do not go to the house, social workers go or plain clothed police officers. The aim is to protect the family as there is usually just one guilty party and the rest are innocent victims even if they did not themselves have a crime committed against them. It is a very sensitive area which has to be treated with care and caution. As far as sexual crimes are concerned, they are pursued to the utmost in the courts.
Many are talking about crimes within the family and that the offender can get a lesser punishment if they claim family honour. I think it is up to us all to bring these points to prospective members of parliament and to get a change in the laws. The police and the justice system can only do what the law tells them and who are the lawmakers? The Parliament. I would suggest that we all lobby for the law which allows the family to drop charges against the offender (who is usually a family member) and that so called 'honour' crimes should be treated as plain murder (which has certain degrees).
If you need help or a crime has been committed against you which comes under the Family Protection Department, please remember how important physical evidence is which can prove innocence or guilt or, at least, that certain people were involved if they deny it.
Please call the Family Protection Department on the following numbers -
111
5815826 or 5815846
T
posted by joladies at Wednesday, October 17, 2007
5 Comments:
hi,
thnx for the post, but i think its good to have your post translated to Arabic as well.
there are many who can't read English.
will someone please offer their services for translation?!! T
I read your blog because I used to live in Jordan and I like to keep up with things there. Here in England this story was reported in a national daily newspaper 'The Daily Mail', it was a short half a column article just stating the facts. please post any developments you hear about as I would be interested to know the outcome.
I'd like to say that being a victim of rape in the United States, the treatment over there is not much better.
The conviction rates are very low. Most men (I think around 95%) get away with rape, and around 70% don't even make it to court.
anon: absolutely true it is SO difficult to get a rape conviction anywhere. Most of our convictions are for statutory rape which means underage sex which is often consensual. A woman has to be so brave to go through the whole thing, police, courts etc. T
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