Photo for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

A rapist was freed by a Pakistani court when he wed his victim in a deal mediated by an elder council in the nation's northwest, according to his attorney on Wednesday. In a nation where most rapes go undetected, the ruling has infuriated rights campaigners who claim it legitimizes sexual assault against women. A lower court in the Buner area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province sentenced Dawlat Khan, 25, to life in prison in May for raping a deaf lady. After the Peshawar High Court (PHC) approved an out-of-court settlement reached by the rape victim's family, he was freed from prison on Monday. After his unmarried victim gave birth to a kid earlier this year, Dawlat Khan was apprehended after a paternity test revealed he was the child's biological father. Since women are frequently treated as second-class citizens in Pakistan, rape cases are difficult to prosecute. The Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell, a group that offers legal aid to disadvantaged women, claims that less than 3% of cases that go to trial result in a conviction. Due to the related societal shame, few cases are recorded. The poor conviction rates are also impacted by mistakes made during investigations, poor prosecutorial tactics, and out-of-court settlements. The Jirgas or panchayats, local elder-led village councils in rural Pakistan, bypass the legal system even though their rulings have no legal weight. BKM/ Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube page