L'orient le jour- Femmes violées : tout sauf un poisson d’avril...*, April 01 , 2017

Cela pourrait avoir l'air d'un poisson d'avril. Mais cela ne l'est absolument pas. C'est la loi qui l'impose, et plus exactement l'article 522 du code pénal, qui exonère le violeur de son crime s'il épouse sa victime. Ainsi, la victime épousera son mari violeur et vivra dans une espèce de prison dorée à perpétuité – une sorte de dolce vita en enfer... Parce qu'il faut le dire : dans notre pays, horreur rime avec honneur, avec une exigence de mâle qui fait bien mal, validée par une loi ancestrale et barbare : il faut sacrifier le bonheur de sa fille pour laver l'honneur de la famille...

Rappelons les faits : la commission parlementaire de l'Administration et de la Justice avait abrogé il y a quelques semaines cet article 522 (qui stipule, entre autres, qu'un violeur peut échapper à la condamnation s'il reconnaît son crime et épouse sa victime). L'abrogation de cet article vivement contesté était dans l'air depuis des mois, voire des années, et plusieurs ONG, dont Abaad, avaient activement milité pour cette abrogation. Sauf que pour qu'elle entre en vigueur, elle devait être soumise à un vote du Parlement. Qui ne semble pas pressé d'abolir ce sinistre article 522.

En effet, cela fait plus d'un mois que la loi est en suspens sur l'agenda de l'hémicycle et que ce vote est repoussé. L'ONG Abaad fait appel à la société civile pour qu'elle exerce une pression et fasse entendre sa voix. Pour cela, il faut signer la pétition sur www.undress522.com visant à accélérer le vote au Parlement.
La 522 doit être abolie. Pour toutes celles qui vivent l'horreur et pour éviter à toutes les autres d'avoir l'honneur de vivre l'horreur...

*NDLR : L'Orient-Le Jour, qui s'est fait à maintes reprises le porte-voix des pourfendeurs de l'article 522 du code pénal, a naturellement joué le jeu de ce pseudo-poisson d'avril initié par l'ONG Abaad et l'agence de publicité Leo Burnett.

Source & Link : L'orient le jour

The Daily Star- Panel agrees to scrap controversial 'rape law', December 07 , 2016

BEIRUT: Lawmakers Wednesday unanimously agreed to scrap a controversial article of the Lebanese penal code that protects rapists.
Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee has unanimously decided that it does not "accept article 522, as marriage cannot disregard such crimes," committee chair and Justice Committee MP Robert Ghanem told The Daily Star.
Article 522 of Lebanon's penal code states that authorities shall not pursue or prosecute an accused rapist, and will overturn the sentence of a convicted rapist if he or she marries the victim.
The law is applicable to cases of rape, kidnapping, indecency, seduction and the violation of the sanctity of women’s spaces.
"The committee is discussing articles 503 through 521 ... before referring the draft law to the Parliament," Ghanem said, adding that Wednesday’s discussion had reached article 510 of the penal code.
"We modified some articles by adding penalties and forcing strict punishments, and in other articles we granted the judge ... the right to decide the sentence."
Articles 503 to 521 pertain to misdemeanors and honor violations.
The committee will hold another meeting on Dec.14 to work out the details involved in canceling Article 522, as per a draft law presented by Lebanese Forces MP Elie Keyrouz.
Media reports said that the new sentence for rapists could reach up to seven years.
Later on Wednesday, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri hailed the panel's decision in a tweet.
"We will be waiting for the completion of the civilized step at the beginning of the first parliamentary session," Hariri tweeted.
Despite the committee's unanimous agreement to abolish article 522, the draft law will have to be referred to the Parliament for endorsement.
Kataeb chief Sami Gemayel hoped via Twitter that the draft law would swiftly reach the Parliament for approval, accompanying his tweet with a hashtag #White_doesn't_cover_rape.
"[It] is the best news during the 16 days of activism campaign," he said.
NGOs and women rights organizations, in particular ABAAD, have been campaigning to press lawmakers to abolish the article.
In a symbolic protest, around a dozen women dressed in wedding gowns and fake blood-stained white bandages took to Downtown’s Riad al-Solh Square to press for the annulment of the article.
With white veils covering their faces and their bodies painted with purposefully placed bruises, the women stood in a line representing victims of the crimes included in the article.
ABAAD has been running a broad media and action campaign in the lead up to the committee meeting.

Source & Link : The Daily Star

The Daily Star- Women stand against controversial rape law, December 06 , 2016

BEIRUT: Twelve women wearing torn white dresses and red-stained bandages held a silent protest Tuesday in Downtown Beirut over a controversial law that allows rapists to avoid conviction if they marry their victim.
The protest in Downtown Beirut's Riad al-Solh comes one day before the Administration and Justice Committee is scheduled to meet to decide whether to abolish or modify article 522.
Article 522 of Lebanon's penal code states that authorities shall not pursue or prosecute an accused rapist, and will overturn the sentence of a convicted rapist if he or she marries the victim.
The protest was held to press lawmakers to abolish, rather than amend the article, which they said protects rapists.
The demonstrators held three large banners calling for the demolition of the law, one of which read "Yes to the cancellation of the article 522."
The act was organized by local NGO ABAAD as a part of a campaign called “A White Dress Doesn’t Cover Rape.”
Lawmakers will discuss a bill proposing the annulment of the law, which MP Elie Keyrouz referred to Speaker Nabih Berri in July.

Source & Link : The Daily Star

Iloubnan- “Une robe blanche n’efface pas un viol” : l’article 522 de la loi libanaise en ligne de mire, December 04 , 2016

Dans  plusieurs pays du monde, la loi permet à un violeur d'échapper à la justice s’il épouse sa victime, dont il préserverait ainsi l’ "honneur".
Cette tragique absurdité de la législation existe aussi au Liban, avec l’article 522. Pour abolir cet article du Code pénal, l'ONG Abaad a précisément lancé une campagne sous un slogan qui parle de lui-même: “Une robe blanche n’efface pas un viol”. Il est accompagné du hashtag #undress522 (déshabillez le 522) ou, moins imagé : #abolish522.
“Afin de mieux faire connaître l'article 522, nous avons affiché des panneaux publicitaires au Liban, explique l’associaton, qui a aussi publié une vidéo sur sa page Facebook.
“Maintenant, nous nous mobilisons sur le terrain pour tenter de convaincre les députés.  Nous voulons leur mettre un maximum de pression pour réussir à abolir une bonne fois pour toutes cet article 522.”
Prochaine action de Abaad: le mardi 6 décembre à midi, l’ONG organise une manifestation devant le parlement.
La loi libanaise peine encore aujourd'hui à intégrer la notion de viol et tout ce qu’elle implique pour les victimes. Ces questions législatives et sociales sont malheureusement passées  ces derniers temps au second plan dans les médias, dans une actualité dominée par les calculs politiques et la situation sécuritaire.
Les récents propos du député Elie Marouni, qui estimait en substance que les femmes provoquaient les violeurs, ont cependant soulevé une vague d'indignation. Début septembre, au cours d'une table ronde justement organisée par le Rassemblement démocratique de la femme libanaise sur une proposition de loi pour abolir l'article 522, Marouni avait déclaré : "Au vu de certaines circonstances, nous devons nous interroger sur la façon dont des femmes poussent les hommes à les violer". Pas de chance pour le député: ses mots avaient été saisis au passage par les caméras de la télévision LBCI. Ils avaient provoqué de violentes réactions sur les réseaux sociaux. Reste à voir si la mobilisation des associations comme Abaad parviendra à faire bouger les législateurs.

Source & Link : Iloubnan

L'orient le jour- Un sit-in de Abaad, pour que les violeurs n’échappent plus à la condamnation, December 01 , 2016

L'association Abaad a observé hier un sit-in devant le Parlement pour revendiquer l'abrogation de l'article 522 du code pénal, qui stipule qu'un violeur peut échapper à la condamnation s'il reconnaît son crime et épouse sa victime. Une proposition d'abrogation de cet article a été présentée par le député Élie Keyrouz, et était discutée hier dans le cadre de la commission parlementaire de l'Administration et de la Justice. Plusieurs députés ayant participé à la réunion se sont d'ailleurs joints aux manifestants, notamment Samir Jisr (bloc du Futur), Ghassan Moukheiber (bloc du Changement et de la Réforme) et Élie Keyrouz (bloc des Forces libanaises, FL).
Représentant l'association, Diana Hayek a précisé que « ce sit-in symbolique vise à lancer un message clair aux députés, plus précisément à la commission de l'Administration et de la Justice, en faveur d'une abrogation totale de l'article 522 ». Et d'ajouter : « Un simple amendement du texte, quel qu'il soit, ne donnera pas le résultat escompté, mais aggravera la situation, bien au contraire. Nous avons, parmi nous, des femmes violées qui ont été obligées à épouser leur violeur. En fait, c'est les exposer à un viol à vie, après le premier crime. Voilà pourquoi nous demandons aux députés d'annuler purement et simplement cet article de loi. »
Pour sa part, le député Samir Jisr a confirmé que les députés de la commission « ont examiné la proposition d'abrogation de l'article présentée par Élie Keyrouz ». « Au sujet du viol, il y a une unanimité contre un tel article, d'où le fait que nous avons besoin d'une loi pour qu'il soit annulé », a-t-il dit.
Le député Ghassan Moukheiber a fait état « d'un accord de principe sur l'abrogation de l'article 522 relatif aux crimes de viol, afin que le violeur n'échappe plus à la condamnation même s'il avoue son crime et qu'il épouse sa victime ».
Enfin, le député Élie Keyrouz, auteur de la proposition, affirme « avoir demandé l'annulation pure et simple de l'article de loi ». « Nous avons étudié cette proposition, qui a été transférée par le président du Parlement à la commission, durant trois réunions consécutives, et nous continuerons à le faire jusqu'à l'abrogation du texte », a-t-il insisté.
Par ailleurs, le département de développement du rôle de la femme au sein des FL a annoncé, dans un communiqué, qu'il soutenait la proposition du député Keyrouz pour l'abrogation de l'article 522 du code pénal

Source & Link : L'orient le jour

The Daily Star- MPs to abolish law protecting rapists who marry their victims, December 01 , 2016

BEIRUT: Dressed in bandages resembling a white dress, a woman covered with bruises stood outside the Lebanese Parliament Wednesday to call for lawmakers to abolish a penal code article that protects rapists who marry their victims. The action was organized by local NGO ABAAD and aimed to demonstrate that “A White Dress Doesn’t Cover the Rape,” which is the slogan for a campaign launched by the group. MPs in the Administration and Justice Committee were meeting to discuss a draft law to abolish the Article, presented by Lebanese Forces MP Elie Keyrouz.
The committee, however, postponed the discussion of the draft until next Wednesday.
“There are several opinions. Some wanted [the Article] to be amended and others [wanted] a new draft law. There are many conflicting viewpoints,” Danielle Hoyek, a lawyer with ABAAD, told The Daily Star. “This is what prompted us to intensify our mobilization to prevent any amendment from passing.”
Article 522 of the Penal Code states that “If a legal marriage was held between the person who committed any of the crimes mentioned in this chapter and the victim, prosecution will be stopped; and if a verdict in the case was issued, the punishment implementation is suspended.”
The article also clarifies that “Prosecution or the execution of the penalty may be resumed in cases of misdemeanors within three years and within five years in cases of felonies, or in the event such marriage ends by divorce of the woman without a legitimate reason or by a divorce, which is decided ... in favor of the woman.”
The crimes that the article refers to come at the end of the first chapter titled “Assault on Honor” and include rape, kidnapping, indecency, seduction and the violation of sanctity of women’s spaces.
“This article affects a woman’s dignity and reflects society’s perception of women as inferior,” Hoyek explained. “Most probably in today’s discussion there was an agreement to abolish at least the part that refers to rape.”
Hoyek admitted that the full abolishment of the Article is not going to be an easy job, but stressed that any justifications or amendments should not be accepted.
ABAAD has been working on the campaign to abolish Article 522 for several months, but took action to shed light on the matter during the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
According to data released by ABAAD with the launch of the campaign, only 1 percent of the Lebanese population is aware of what is included in the Article. Their research also indicated that “60 percent of the Lebanese population is in favor of repealing Article 522 with 84 percent of the Lebanese population considering that Article 522 protects the rapist from prosecution and punishment.”
Seventy-three percent of Lebanese consider that the Article increases pressure on women to marry their rapists with the same number considering that the Article reflects society’s preference for preserving a family’s honor, rather than seeking justice for a woman’s suffering.
The Lebanese Forces’ Department of Women’s Affairs urged the prosecution of attackers in a statement issued Wednesday.
“This article insults women and violates their dignity and the safety of the family and stability,” the statement read. “The department expressed its support for Keyrouz’s bill and rejected any adjustment to the law so that it doesn’t open a door for a new settlement that [negatively] affects women victims.”

Source & Link : The Daily Star

Al diyar- Ethiopian worker raped and trying to commit suicide, September 21 , 2016

بتاريخ 8 /8/2016 ،دخل عامل لبناني لاجراء اعماله الترميمية ،داخل احدى المنازل وقام باغتصاب فتاة إثيوبية تعمل في المنزل الذي يقيم فيه شخصان مسنان ، وذلك عبر استدراج خادمة المنزل إلى الطابق العلوي وارغامها بالقوة على ممارسة الجنس،الامر الذي أدى بها بعد عملية الاغتصاب إلى محاولة الانتحار.

هذا الجرم الوحشي بحق ضحية اجنبية تعمل كخادمة في لبنان لاعالة اهلها ،كان للقضاء اللبناني الحكم الأولي العادل والصارم من جهة أنصاف الخادمة بعد لجوئها إلى النيابة العامة وتقديمها شكوى وقد تم توقيف المعتدي ،ومؤخرا صدر قرار ظني من قبل القاضية سمرندا نصار ،يتضمن ادعاء على العامل اللبناني بجرم المنصوص عنه في المادة 503 من قانون العقوبات (الاغتصاب ).

هذا القرار الصادر عن القاضية نصار أتى عادلا من جهة الاستماع إلى شهادة خادمة منزل أجنبية تروي عملية اغتصاب تعرضت لها من قبل عامل لبناني أثناء ممارسة عملها في المنزل ،كما تم الأخذ بعين الاعتبار الأزمة النفسية التي وقعت بها الخادمة بعد اغتصابها.

القاضية نصار أثبتت وقوف القضاء اللبناني إلى جانب الحلقة الأضعف،ما يعزز الثقة بقانون يحمي العامل الأجنبي حتى لو كان المدعى عليه ومرتكب الجريمة يحمل الجنسية اللبنانية.

Source & Link : addiyar

Aliwaa- Rape in the lebanese legislation, September 9 , 2016

نظّم «التجمّع النسائي الديموقراطي اللبناني» طاولة مستديرة في بلدية ذوق مكايل حول «تشريع الاغتصاب في القانون اللبناني»، وذلك في إطار البرنامج الإقليمي «هي لدعم المرأة القيادية»، بالشراكة مع أكاديمية التنمية الدولية - الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا وبدعم من الوكالة السويدية للتعاون الإنمائي الدولي، في حضور النائبين إيلي كيروز وإيلي ماروني، الرئيس جون القزي.
وتحدّث النائب كيروز عن اقتراح القانون الذي تقدّم به إلى رئيس مجلس النواب نبيه بري بهدف إلغاء نص المادة 522 من قانون العقوبات اللبناني والتي تعفي مرتكب الجرائم على العرض من الملاحقة القانونية في حال تم عقد زواج صحيح بين المرتكب والمعتدى عليها، مشيرا إلى ان «المجلس النيابي نسف مشروع القانون المقدم من الجمعيات النسائية بهدف حماية المرأة من العنف الأسري، فرفض تخصيص المرأة بالحماية وشوه المادة المتعلقة بالإغتصاب الزوجي، مثبتا الإعتراف بحق الزوج في إغتصاب الزوجة باعتبار ذلك حق من حقوقه الزوجية، ومجرما فقط الإيذاء الناتج عن الإغتصاب وليس الفعل بحد ذاته»، ومشدّدا على أنه سوف يعمل في المستقبل على «الضغط من أجل تجريم الإغتصاب الزوجي.
من جهته، قال ماروني: «نحن حرصاء على حقوق المرأة ودورها وعلى نبذ العنف، ولكن في الوقت عينه نرفض إلغاء المادة 522 من قانون العقوبات»، مقترحا تطويرها، ومشيرا إلى «أن المرأة اللبنانية لديها إمتياز رفض الزواج بالمغتصب على عكس النساء في دول أخرى».
وأشار بيان للتجمّع الى ان تصريح النائب ماروني في معرض حديثه عن الاغتصاب وتحميل النساء جزءا من المسؤولية في وقوع جرم الإغتصاب اضافة إلى تصريحه حول رفض منح النساء اللبنانيات الحق بإعطاء جنسيتهن لأسرتهن بحجة الوجود السوري والفلسطيني، أثار حفيظة بعض المشاركات في اللقاء.
واعتبرت المديرة التنفيذية في التجمع النسائي الديمقراطي اللبناني المحامية منار زعيتر أن «لا مساومة على حقوق النساء، وأن الإغتصاب جرم وبالتالي يجب معاقبة مرتكبه بعيدا عن المواقف الذكورية في هذا الإطار». 
بدوره، وجّه التجمّع النسائي الديمقراطي رسالة الى رئيس حزب الكتائب النائب سامي الجميّل انتقد فيها كلام النائب الماروني، موضحاً «نستغرب المواقف التي أطلقها النائب ماروني، خاصة أننا دعوناه للتعبير عن موقف حزب الكتائب وليس موقفه الشخصي، من خلال تحميله النساء والفتيات المسؤولية عن جرائم الإغتصاب التي تطالهن، ومن خلال هجومه على مطلب تعديل قانون الجنسية، ومن خلال تأكيده أكثر من مرة على عدم أحقية النضال من أجل قضايا النساء في ظل تعرض الرجال للعنف ذلك، ومن خلال دفاعه عن المادة 522 ووضع جملة من التبريرات لها، ومن خلال مواقفه المشينة بحق اللاجئين السوريين والفلسطنيين إضافة لتوجيهه الإهانة لزميلتنا في التجمع حياة مرشاد التي إستنكرت مواقفه وتوجيه كلمات مسيئة جدا لها»

Source & Link : Aliwaa

As-Safir - The silence of rape, April 30, 2014

صمت الاغتصاب 

زينة علوش 

لا غريب في قصة طارق الملاح، ذاك الشاب الذي خرج إلى العلن ليشهد، بعد صمت طويل، على تعرضه للاغتصاب في دار للأيتام. وإذا كانت دور الرعاية في العالم معرّضة لهذا النوع من الأخطار والانتهاكات، ففي لبنان المخاطر أعلى، نظراً لفقدان سياسة عمل وطنية لضمان حماية الأطفال ضمن دور الرعاية.

قرر طارق أن يروي قصة عذاب وألم وربما تأنيب الذات كونه ضحية اعتداء من رفاق الدار. وهم، بالرغم من أنهم يكبرونه سناً، إلا أنهم أطفال أيضاً وضحايا الوجع الذي أفضى بهم إلى فصلهم عن أهلهم البيولوجيين والسكن في دار ليس اليتم فيه الأكثر ألماً.

طارق الذي كتم سره وواجه نظرات المحيطين وكان يشعر بأنه مهما فعل لن يتمكن من تخطي الإحساس بالقهر المخيف: أن تكون طفلاً أعزل وأن يُعتدى عليك، وأن لا تجد من يستمع إليك، ولا من يمسح دموع الوجع والخوف والذل، ولا من ينصفك.

يداري طارق إحساسه بالقهر والعنف عبر «نصرة» إخوانه في الدار.

فلمَ العجب؟

لمَ نستهجن الصمت؟

المستغرب هو الصمت الرسمي عما يجري في عالم الرعاية البديلة في لبنان وتركه لعمل خيري غير خاضع للمساءلة والمحاسبة والملاحقة القانونية. ألم تطوى صفحة «رجل دين» مغتصب للأطفال في دار للرعاية، لا لسبب إلا لأن مرجعيته دينية، ولأنه فاعل خير؟

الكلام أعلاه ليس شعراً عن واقع الاغتصاب في دور الرعاية الذي تبين أنه مشكلة عالمية تنادت من أجلها الخبرات العالمية عام 2008 لصياغة المعايير الدولية للرعاية البديلة.

هذه المعايير الدولية أوصت بالتخلي عن النمط المؤسساتي في الرعاية البديلة والتوجه إلى النمط العائلي ليكون للطفل فاقد الرعاية الأسرية الحق الفردي في الرعاية والنمو والتمكين.

ولم يكن لبنان بعيداً عن صياغة هذه المعايير الدولية ومن ثم عبر المشاركة في تبني ميثاق عربي للمعايير الدولية للرعاية البديلة في القاهرة عام 2009.

ألم تشر ملاحظات لجنة حقوق الطفل الدولية إلى تقارير لبنان في شأن وضع الأطفال في دور الرعاية إلى قلق كبير في شأن الأعداد المتزايدة والمقدرة بنحو 28 ألف طفل ضمن دور الرعاية، بينما عدد الأطفال الذين يحتاجون إلى رعاية بديلة مقيمة تقدر بنحو 5 آلاف فقط؟

ألم تشر الدراسة التي أعدها «مركز الدراسات والأبحاث» في عام 2008 إلى واقع هزيل للرعاية البديلة في لبنان؟

ألم تُعد «المفكرة القانونية» نشر نتائج هذه الدراسة التي لم تتبنَّ وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية نتائجها، وأعادت تقييم أطر التعاقد مع مؤسسات الرعاية؟

ألم يحن الوقت لتغيير مفهوم العمل الخيري في لبنان؟

As-Safir

L'orient le jour - Rapt, viol et vol dans la Békaa, June 8 2012

K.T. (32 ans) et G.D., un couple de la Békaa, ont porté plainte hier matin au poste de gendarmerie de Maallaka (Zahlé) contre quatre inconnus circulant à bord d’une BMW noire, qui les ont abordés vers 1h30 du matin, alors qu’ils se trouvaient à l’intérieur d’une voiture garée sur le boulevard de Zahlé. Tandis que deux des bandits prenaient le véhicule, une Toyota, les deux autres les ont conduits vers des collines isolées surplombant la ville, où ils les ont abandonnés, après avoir violé la jeune femme et avoir dérobé tout l’argent qu’ils portaient sur eux (1,5 million de livres). C’est à pied que le couple est arrivé, aux premières lueurs de l’aube, au poste de gendarmerie pour porter plainte. Il n’est pas exclu que les bandits puissent être retrouvés, puisqu’il est apparu que des caméras de surveillance installées non loin des lieux où se trouvait le couple ont pu filmer la scène.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/762816/Rapt,_viol_et_vol_dans_la_Bekaa.html

Naharnet - Rape and Robbery on Zahle Highway, June 7 2012

Two men raped a 32-year-old Lebanese woman in the eastern city of Zahle after assaulting her male companion and stealing LL1.5 million from them, the National News Agency reported Thursday.

NNA said that four men in a BMW with tinted windows intercepted the victims identified with their initials as K.T., 32, and J.D., who were in their Toyota on the Zahle highway, at around 1:30 am.

Two of the assailants took K.T. and J.D to an area nearby, robbed them of LL1.5 million after assaulting them, and then raped the woman.

The other two robbers took their vehicle to an unknown location, the agency said.

After the suspects made their escape, the victims went on foot to the al-Maalaqa-Zahle police station and informed security forces about the incident, it added.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/42666

The Daily Star - Group of men rape woman in east Lebanon, June 7 2012

BEIRUT: A group of unidentified armed men raped a woman Thursday in Zahle, east Lebanon, after intercepting the vehicle she was in, security sources said.

The woman, identified as C. T., and her male friend, J.D., were forced to stop after a car chase by a group of four men near the Fayyad Bridge in Zahle.

While two of the assailants forced C.T. into their vehicle, the other two men escorted J.D. to a cash point, where they forced him to withdraw $1,000.

After securing the cash, the four men then drove C.T. and J.D. to Ferzol in Zahle, where they proceeded to rape the woman before fleeing the scene.

The four men also stole J.D.'s vehicle.

C.T. and J.D. contacted local police and were then escorted to Ferzol police station to report the incident.

An investigation in to the incident has been launched.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Jun-07/176033-group-of-men-rape-woman-in-east-lebanon.ashx#axzz1x5XqZCLy

Now Lebanon - Strida Geagea meets family of sexually abused Iraqi boy, May 4 2012

Lebanese Forces bloc MP Strida Geagea on Friday met the family of a 13-year-old Iraqi boy who was sexually abusedby a stranger disguised as a taxi driver in Lebanon, according to a press statement issued by Geagea’s press office. 

Geagea said that efforts should be made immediately “to reveal the monstrous human who committed this ugly crime against the innocent child” and penalize him. 

The lawmaker offered financial aid to the young child’s family to receive the required health treatment.  

Geagea also discussed the case over the phone with Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abu Faour.

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=392545#

L'orient le jour - Sethrida Geagea prend la défense d’un enfant irakien victime d’abus sexuels, May 3 2012

La députée Sethrida Geagea a dénoncé le viol dont a été victime récemment Fadi, un enfant irakien de 13 ans. Ce dernier rentrait de son travail lorsqu’il a été agressé par un inconnu qui s’est fait passer pour un chauffeur de taxi. « En tant que parlementaire, je ne peux qu’être concernée par cette affaire », a déclaré Mme Geagea, au cours d’une intervention téléphonique, mardi, dans le cadre du programme Enta horr (Tu es libre) de la chaîne MTV.
« Il faudrait réclamer la peine de mort pour l’agresseur et non seulement le sanctionner », a affirmé Mme Geagea, affirmant qu’elle était prête à accompagner l’animateur du programme, Joe Maalouf, et le petit Fadi chez le ministre de l’Intérieur, Marwan Charbel, « pour discuter des moyens de poursuivre l’affaire ». Elle a noté en outre qu’elle était certaine que le ministre Charbel se montrera coopératif dans ce dossier.
« C’est un dossier humanitaire, a encore ajouté Mme Geagea. Il n’est pas permis qu’en 2012, des enfants soient victimes au Liban de telles agressions. » Sethrida Geagea a en outre critiqué ceux qui ont déploré « le débat engagé autour de l’affaire, sous prétexte qu’il s’agit d’un enfant irakien et non libanais, et que, par conséquent, personne ne se sentira concerné ».

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/757272/Sethrida_Geagea_prend_la_defense_d%27un_enfant_irakien_victime_d%27abus_sexuels.html

Now Lebanon - Strida Geagea voices support for raped Iraqi refugee child, May 3 2012

Lebanese Forces bloc MP Strida Geagea on Wednesday voiced her support for the case of the Iraqi child, a refugee in Lebanon identified as Fadi, who was allegedly raped by a taxi driver.

In an interview with MTV television, Geagea said that she was ready to support the case of 13-year-old Fadi.

“I want to say in this interview that I stand by him… and I am prepared to follow up on this case until the end.”

She added that the case was a “humanitarian” issue and that it was not acceptable “in 2012, in Lebanon,” for children to be “the victims of such crimes.”

Geagea also said that, as an MP, she was concerned with the case and warned that such crimes might spread to affect other children regardless of their nationalities.

“As a member of the Lebanese parliament, I find myself concerned with the case of the Iraqi child Fadi… and I would have been concerned with it had it affected any Lebanese child,” the MP said adding that “a Lebanese ‘Fadi’, or a Lebanese ‘Ali’ or ‘Mohammad’” could also fall victims to similar crimes.

The Iraqi child was allegedly raped in Lebanon by a stranger, posing as a taxi driver, who abused the child who was on his way home after work.

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=391770#

Naharnet - Teacher Arrested for Raping Student, April 10, 2012

A teacher in Tyre has been arrested for raping one of his students, reported Voice of Lebanon radio on Tuesday.

The teacher, a male in his mid-fifties, is accused of raping the 12-year old boy at a private school in the southern city.

Security forces detained him a few days ago and after initial investigations, a judge ordered his arrest.

The teacher has since been transferred to Tyre prison where investigations with him will continue.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/36275

Daily Star - Prosecutor charges Salateen with premediated murder, November 26th 2011

By Youssef Diab

BEIRUT: A Syrian man was formally charged Friday with the brutal murder of a woman in Kesrouan last Monday.

The Mount Lebanon public prosecutor, Claude Karam, charged Fathi Jabr Salateen with the premeditated murder of Myriam al-Ashkar in Sahel Alma earlier this week, a charge that usually carries a death penalty.

The body of Ashkar was found covered in blood Tuesday on the outskirts of Our Lady of the Annunciation monastery in Sahel Alma.

Salateen, who worked as a janitor at the monastery, told police he raped Ashkar before killing her by cutting her throat Monday afternoon. According to a security source, however, the medical results indicated that Salateen did not rape Ashkar, and the accusation did not appear in the official charge sheet.

Karam had Salateen transferred to the custody of investigative judge in Mount Lebanon, Ziad Makanna, who interrogated Salateen and issued an formal arrest warrant against him.

Jounieh police had handed Salateen over to Karam after questioning the suspect for three days under Karam’s supervision. According to sources close to the investigation, Salateen committed the crime alone after having planned it in advance, and no accomplices were involved.

A judicial source said that Salateen was conscripted in a Syrian Intelligence unit in the Bekaa from 2001 to 2003, when he was discharged.

Judicial sources denied rumors of a deal that would see Salateen handed over to the Syrian embassy in Lebanon to try him in his home country.

“There is no such request and even if it were, it would rejected immediately as the authority to try him belongs to the Lebanese judiciary only, given that the crime was committed on Lebanese land and that the victim was Lebanese,” the source said.

Metn MP Sami Gemayel voiced Friday his party’s rejection of extraditing Salateen.

“The crime took place in Sahel Alma in broad daylight and we will not be satisfied unless the perpetrator is tried by the Lebanese judiciary according to the country’s laws,” Gemayel said, also promising the victim’s family that he will follow up on all developments connected to the crime.

For his part, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea telephoned Myriam’s brother, Tony Ashkar, and offered his condolences to the victim’s family and relatives as well as Sahel Alma residents, and asserted that the Lebanese Forces would support Ashkar’s family in their search for justice.

The Municipality of Jounieh issued a statement in which it offered condolences to Ashkar’s family and the residents of Sahel Alma, and condemned the “ugly” crime.

The statement also called on judicial authorities to hand down the harshest possible punishment to the perpetrator, and asked that the relevant authorities crack down on illegal foreign workers in Jounieh and across the country.

The Beirut Bar Association also condemned Ashkar’s murder and reminded officials of their duty to confront crime in the country by arresting the perpetrators and trying them without delay.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-26/155257-prosecutor-charges-salateen-with-premediated-murder.ashx#axzz1eXgY1TwC

Daily Star - Rights group slams removal of marital rape clause from law, November 24th 2011

By Olivia Alabaster

BEIRUT: Amendments to the draft law against domestic violence, including the removal of the criminalization of marital rape, were slammed by the gender rights organization KAFA (Enough Violence and Discrimination) Wednesday.

At a news conference held at the Press Federation in Beirut, director of KAFA, Zoya Rouhana, said that a patriarchal mentality was shaping attitudes toward the draft law, rather than a respect for international human rights.

There is currently no legislation to protect women from domestic abuse, and neither is marital rape outlawed.

A draft law on domestic violence was passed by Cabinet in April 2010 and is currently being debated by a parliamentary sub-committee, established around four months ago.

Rouhana warned that the members of the sub-committee would be judged harshly if the amendments were carried out. A media campaign was also launched Wednesday, addressing the members of the sub-committee, warning: “MPs, marital rape is also a crime!” and “The law is a reflection of you: do not distort the law.”

Amendments to the draft law, which were leaked to the media, remove the criminalization of marital rape and render the law no longer specific to women.

“With this stance they have trampled on woman’s humanity and dignity. They have allowed for the humiliation and oppression of women,” the KAFA director said.

The draft law has faced fierce criticism from several sectors, including the two highest Muslim bodies in the country, which said the new law would lead to the breakup of the family. Domestic violence is currently covered by religious courts.

Maya al-Ammar, media officer in the exploitation and trafficking in women unit at KAFA, told The Daily Star that she believed the alleged amendments are due to religious pressure.

The MPs in the committee, she said, “are really influenced by religious leaders [and] the usual patriarchal traditions that lie beneath.” Also, she said, the amendments are being made via consensus, rather than through a democratic vote within the committee.

Metn MP Ghassan Moukheiber, a member of the sub-committee debating the draft law, told The Daily Star that he was “extremely concerned” about the removal of the marital rape clause, but that a majority of members, of which there are eight, wanted it withdrawn.

The sub-committee will continue to discuss the issue, he said, before the draft law goes to a joint committee for discussion – which is so far unscheduled – and then on to a plenary debate within Parliament.

Rouhana urged all members of the sub-committee, and also all other MPs, to review studies on the issue of marital rape which, she said, reveal it has a deeper impact than rape carried out by strangers.

“Marriage is supposed to provide security and trust and be based on love and mercy: not force and violence,” she said.

At KAFA, she said, staff members have seen firsthand the effects of marital rape. “We see the state of abused women who have sought our help at our centers. These women have confirmed that rape carried out by their husbands is an additional means to oppress and humiliate them.”

The amendments to the draft law have also removed the women-specific element.

“We want a law focused on women and which includes all forms of abuse that women specifically are subjected to,” Rouhana said Wednesday, citing sexual, economic and mental abuse, as well as physical.

When originally drafting the law, campaigners wanted “a law which does not compromise on women’s rights to live, and to live decently, that does not turn a blind eye to one form or another that women are subjected to.

“A law that ensures the protection of the weak from subjugation and which compensates women for some of the patriarchal privileges that allow violence from one gender against another,” Rouhana added.

“Violence against women is being ignored,” Ammar said. “And that’s a major problem and we can’t be silent about it.”

However Moukheiber defended the removal of this aspect of the draft law. “This actually reinforces the law. It covers women and children, but also, in rare cases, other members of the family who are subjected to abuse.”

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-24/155001-rights-group-slams-removal-of-marital-rape-clause-from-law.ashx#axzz1eXgY1TwC

Daily Star - Lebanese woman found raped, murdered, November 22nd 2011

BEIRUT: The body of a 28-year-old Lebanese woman who was raped before she was killed was found Tuesday in the woods of Sahel Alma near Jounieh, north of Beirut, a security source said.

The source said the woman was found covered in blood, naked from the waist down.

A Syrian national working as a janitor at a monastery some 600 meters away from where the body was found has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the murder.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-22/154864-lebanese-woman-found-raped-murdered.ashx#axzz1eXbzVbkD