A Lebanese judge issued a ruling to prevent future domestic abuse. The rare decision, issued Thursday, was hailed by women's rights organization Kafa which has long advocated for better protection of domestic violence victims.
Kafa announced Friday that the plaintiff, who was given the alias “Giselle”, was reportedly the victim of tripartite abuse at the hands of her husband, son and daughter-in-law.
Prosecutor Antoine Abou Zeid, the judge presiding over the case, issued a landmark verdict by ordering the permanent eviction of a son and daughter-in-law from the Giselle's residence.
“This is not the first time a mother files a complaint against her son, however it is the first time that the judge decides to ban the son permanently from his mother’s residence” Maya Ammar, legal adviser for Kafa told The Daily Star.
Ammar, who has been following up on the case, said that the decision was issued because the son and his wife failed to display “good will,” highlighting that the prosecutor believed “the level of abuse was only going to escalate.”
Meanwhile, Giselle’s husband who also contributed to the aggression was also ordered to leave the house.
The husband’s leave however, is temporary, since he would be allowed back under the condition that he offers proof of undergoing rehabilitation by a specialist.
“This is a very positive step” said Ammar. “Previously women didn’t have options. However the recently issued verdict reveals the availability of preventive measures.”
The issued decision was based on a Parliament-approved draft law aimed at protecting women from domestic violence. The draft law was first submitted to the Parliament in 2010, and a parliamentary subcommittee began studying it in May 2011 and finalized its amendments in August 2012. However, the draft law was not ratified by Parliament until April of this year.
The amendments altered the title of the text, which now refers to violence against the family, as opposed violence against women specifically. A key clause criminalizing marital rape was also removed by the committee, after it sparked a backlash from religious figures and some politicians.
Despite her reservations over the introduced amendments, Ammar did not deny the benefit that the draft law has had so far on domestic abuse victims.
“I can’t speak on behalf of all cases, but I can say that the cases that Kafa is following up on are benefiting from the law” said Ammar.
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