full version - World Organisation Against Torture

Bangladesh3. Violence against Girls in the Family3.1 Wife BatteringGirls, when married before the age of 18, are at greater risk of physicaland psychological violence perpetrated by their husbands or other membersof their extended families. It should be noted that wife battering athome constitutes by far the most common form of violence againstwomen and girls and is a significant cause of injury. Wife batteringremains hidden, it is not the type of act that dominates headlines as it happensbehind closed doors and victims fear speaking out. It is not often recognizedas a crime and remains one of the biggest threats to women’ssecurity. In 1998, murders of wives by their husbands accounted for over70 percent of reported domestic violence cases involving girls 13 – 18years old. 6 Woman battering includes various methods of torturous physicalviolence. Women victims who have survived woman battering reportviolence such as slapping, punching, kicking, beating with fists or objects,biting, strangling, burning, raping with body parts or objects, stabbing andshooting. In the most extreme cases, woman victims die as a result of theirinjuries.The law called ‘Woman & Child Repression Prevention Act – 2000’(Bangla name – Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Damon Ain – 2000) deals specificallywith women and children and includes measures against domesticviolence against women and children. However, the Penal Code does notdeal specifically with domestic violence.Despite the Woman & Child Repression Prevention Act – 2000, domesticviolence continues to go unpunished. Women are often reluctant to reportthe crime out of shame, and when the crime is reported, the investigationand prosecuting officers can be insensitive to the difficulties faced by victimsof domestic violence. There is an apparent lack of due diligence inthe investigation, prosecution and punishing of domestic violence.Although some shelters exist in the capital city of Bangladesh, the ruralareas do not have many shelters.19