Consultants say the Proof Act, a Nineteenth-century relic of British period, has been routinely used to discredit the survivors’ testimony.
Bangladesh will ban questions probing the “immoral character” of rape victims in prison instances, authorities say, after a protracted marketing campaign by rights teams in opposition to humiliating interrogations of traumatised survivors.
Consultants say the nation’s Proof Act, a Nineteenth-century relic of the British colonial period, has been routinely used to discredit the testimony of survivors throughout courtroom cross-examinations and police investigations.
Feminine activists have spent greater than a decade demanding the regulation be amended and final yr a coalition of rights teams petitioned Bangladesh’s high courtroom for its repeal.
Justice minister Anisul Huq stated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cupboard has resolved to take away the character proof provisions from the regulation.
He stated the regulation at present permits these accused of rape to “ask questions as to the immoral character of the sufferer” however this could be banned, with parliament anticipated to formalise the choice by June.
“That is one other step in the direction of empowerment of girls,” he stated.
Outstanding activist Nina Goswami of the native Ain o Salish Kendra rights group hailed the transfer as a “outstanding achievement”.
She stated character proof had hindered justice for many years, with many survivors deciding to not search fees in opposition to their attackers out of worry of social humiliation.
“This may now cease,” she stated.
Final yr, the Bangladesh Authorized Support and Companies Belief (BLAST) stated character proof had been used to solid doubt on sufferer testimony, making it tough to safe responsible verdicts.
Rights teams have stated the variety of rapes has elevated alarmingly lately, blaming authorized loopholes and a tradition of impunity for violence in opposition to ladies.
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