Open trial

Women’s rights activists are demanding menaccused of sexual crimes should be shamed and tried in public.
A year ago, Lal Bibi, an 18 year old was sexually abused in Kunduz city.

Women’s rights activists are demanding menaccused of sexual crimes should be shamed and tried in public.
A year ago, Lal Bibi, an 18 year old was sexually abused in Kunduz city. She pointed fingers at local police commanders. She says they abducted her in a Ranger – a vehicle that is generally used by the military and police. “When my father tried to prevent them they beat him.” She said she was taken to a house and sexually abused for a week.
An open court in Kabul has convicted the accused policemen after a seven-month trial.
Meanwhile, in Herat, the court of appeal has sentenced a man for abusing his daughter. The trial was held in public, in the presence of lawyers, civil society activists and women. Though the accused denied the charges the court said there was sufficient evidence to punish him. The man’s daughter, Zahra, said in court that her father had abused her.
Though the decisions of the two courts are likely to be challenged in a higher court, women’s rights activists say “open trials” may be an effective way of fighting violence against women in Afghanistan.
An activist from Kunduz, Fatema Jurat, said the number of crimes against women have been on the rise in north and northeast Afghanistan. “We felt happiness when we heard about the judgment in favour of Lal Bibi. We hope other violators of women’s rights will also be punished by courts.”
Ahmad who lives in Kunduz said he was “happy” to see justice done in the case. “I was so happy when the local police who had sexually abused Lal Bibi were convicted. If theaccused are prosecuted and the criminals are punished, the insecurity that women face will be reduced,” he believes.
Ghufran from Kunduz province said, “The open trial is very good. I hope all criminals are punished, and others learn a lesson.”
Fawzia Koofi, the head of the Commission of Women’s Affairs in Parliament, said the poor enforcement of the law and justice system has been an obstacle in the campaign to eliminate violence against women. “The role of open trails is very important in diminishing the violence against the women,” she said.