Morocco amends 'marriage to underage rape victim' loophole in law

Morocco’s parliament has unanimously amended an article in the penal code that had outraged people by allowing a rapist to escape prosecution if he married his underage victim.

Article 475 of the penal code generated unprecedented public criticism after the 2012 suicide of a 16-year-old girl following seven months of marriage to the 23-year-old man she said had raped her.

Activists had called for a wholesale revamping of the country’s laws dealing with rape.

However, in this case, it is just an amendment of the existing article.

In a unanimous vote today, the language allowing the assailant to marry his victim to escape prosecution was deleted.