Gaps In Protecting Women And Girls From Sexual Violence

1)Laws allowing the perpetrator to walk free on reaching some form of “settlement”, including by marrying the victim

2)Laws framed in terms of morality rather than bodily integrity, thereby perpetuating a cycle of violence and discrimination

3)Laws that explicitly permit rape in marriage, even of children

4)Laws permitting judicial discretion to reduce charges or define evidence based on stereotyped assessment of the complainant’s behavior

5)Laws that fail to recognize true consent is impossible in situations of dependency or extreme vulnerability

6)Laws or practices inhibiting investigation or prosecution of sexual assault

7)Laws requiring witness corroboration and other overly burdensome evidence

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