A young girl was raped. Instead of punishing the man responsible, the 40 year old rapist gets to marry her.
This case has become the talk of the town and controversial internationally as well.
But this is not the only case in Malaysia as the issue of child marriages is bigger and more complex.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 142 million girls will be married as children between 2010 and 2020.
According to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, child marriage is defined as marriage before the age of 18. It applies to both boys and girls.
This practice is far more common among young girls and factors contributing to this practice varies among countries, cultures and communities.
A child would be married off early to avoid pregnancy outside marriage, the family’s economic necessity, especially in patriarchal communities whereby boys are deemed to have a higher status and value than girls.
Whatever the reasons one thing we can be certain is that the rights of a child especially to health and education as well as the opportunity to fulfill their potential are compromised if he or she marries early.
In this case of the 40 year old man rapist, the 12 year old girl was victimised twice, first she was raped, and then snatched of her civil rights.
Just how serious is this issue of child marriages in Malaysia? What can we do about it when the person supposedly charged for statutory rape escapes criminal charges by marrying the person he raped?
Did our social justice system failed the child? How can we protect our children from being victims in the future?
Astro Awani spoke to Azrul Mohd Khalib, Communications & Resource Mobilisation Manager from the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPFF) to share his views about this heartbreaking issue.
In Malaysia, the population and housing census in 2000 revealed that child marriages affected 6,800 girls below the age of 15 as well as 4,600 boys. What are these numbers telling you?
This case has become the talk of the town and controversial internationally as well.
But this is not the only case in Malaysia as the issue of child marriages is bigger and more complex.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 142 million girls will be married as children between 2010 and 2020.
According to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, child marriage is defined as marriage before the age of 18. It applies to both boys and girls.
This practice is far more common among young girls and factors contributing to this practice varies among countries, cultures and communities.
A child would be married off early to avoid pregnancy outside marriage, the family’s economic necessity, especially in patriarchal communities whereby boys are deemed to have a higher status and value than girls.
Whatever the reasons one thing we can be certain is that the rights of a child especially to health and education as well as the opportunity to fulfill their potential are compromised if he or she marries early.
In this case of the 40 year old man rapist, the 12 year old girl was victimised twice, first she was raped, and then snatched of her civil rights.
Just how serious is this issue of child marriages in Malaysia? What can we do about it when the person supposedly charged for statutory rape escapes criminal charges by marrying the person he raped?
Did our social justice system failed the child? How can we protect our children from being victims in the future?
Astro Awani spoke to Azrul Mohd Khalib, Communications & Resource Mobilisation Manager from the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPFF) to share his views about this heartbreaking issue.
In Malaysia, the population and housing census in 2000 revealed that child marriages affected 6,800 girls below the age of 15 as well as 4,600 boys. What are these numbers telling you?
In Malaysia, the population and housing census in 2000 revealed that child marriage affected 6,800 girls below the age of 15 as well as 4,600 boys. What are these numbers telling you?
Is there a distinction between underage marriage and child marriages?
According to syariah law in the country, the minimum age of marriage is 16 for girls and 18 for boys. Exceptions can be made for the child to marry at a much younger age as long as they obtain islamic courts’ consent.
In this case, the marriage was used to beat the charge of statutory rape. There seems to be loopholes exisiting in relation to religious and customary laws.
Consent was given by the girls’ parents too. What can we do when the law and guardian of the child have failed to protect and administer justice to the child?
Cynthia Ng is a member of Astro AWANI’s pioneering mobile journalist (MOJO) team whereby the journalist gathers stories as a one person crew using mobile gadgets.
