Forced marriage, rape, and a death sentence
Opinions expressed by the writer, are her own.
Noura was only 16 when she was forced into an arranged marriage. Her new husband raped her on their first day as a couple. The following day, he tried to rape her again, but this time, Noura had a plan, a deadly plan; to grab a knife from the kitchen and stab him to death.
…That is exactly what Noura Hussein did.
One would think that things could not get any worse for the teenage girl who had turned from being an innocent child to this man’s wife, and as if that wasn’t enough, she was now a murderer, literally in a span of just a few days. But all the stars were aligned against Noura.
See Also: Noura in her own words
After the stabbing incident, Noura sought help from her family but her father turned her in to the local police and worse, he disowned her. In court, Noura was charged with first-degree murder and thus was sentenced to execution by the hangman.
The big question remains, should women who murder their abusive husbands be punished for murder? Or perhaps, Should their cases be heard differently? And should the legal system have provisions set aside for a specific case like Noura’s?
Her story trended for months under #justicefornoura hashtag, with questions emerging on the fairness of the court ruling, given that Noura was forced into marriage as a teenager.
I really hope that girl & Noura are doing okay today.
InshAllah they keep getting better everyday.
Let’s pray for them & for every girl who went through such a tragedy.
God is with you, our hearts & prayers are with you and you are not alone.#StopSudaneseRape#JusticeForNoura
— Asadoya (@Queen_Asadoya) July 21, 2018
I personally think that the judgment accorded to her during her trial was very unfair, to say the least.
I’m a firm believer of the “an eye for an eye and a life for a life” philosophy. Some of you may think that my opinion is harsh or out of order but consider this: Innocence cannot be brought back once taken.
Noura was just a child with her whole life ahead of her before she was married off to this old man who then raped her.
Surely, she was justified in stabbing the old man in an attempt to salvage her innocence, right? But of course!
Related: Ex-prison beauty queen Ruth Kamande sentenced to death
Harsh measures need to be taken on perpetrators of marital rape and forced marriages. But if a wife murders her husband for personal gain or out of jealousy, let her rot in prison or be executed. If she murders her husband for rape or even attempted rape, let her walk free…And let the deceased serve as a lesson to other rapists.
