They finally fixed the rape law in Pakistan! It's about time they joined the 21st Century:
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president, has signed into law an amendment to the country's controversial rape statute to make it easier to prosecute sexual assault cases.(via)
Musharraf signed the bill, called the Protection of Women bill, on Friday. The changes take effect immediately, Sher Afghan, federal minister for parliamentary affairs, said.
"It has been done to safeguard the rights of women," Afghan said.
Under the new law, judges can choose whether a rape case should be tried in a criminal court, where the four-witness rule - or known as the Hudood Ordinance under the old Islamic law - would not apply.
It also drops the death penalty for sex outside of marriage. The offence would now be punishable with five years in prison or a fine equivalent to $165.
How in the world would you be able to get four witnesses to a rape? That's just nuts.
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