memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
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Today <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are many countries that have ei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r enacted marital rape laws, repealed<br />
marital rape excepti<strong>on</strong>s or have laws that do not distinguish between marital rape and<br />
ordinary rape. These countries include: Albania, Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada,<br />
China, Denmark, France, Germany, H<strong>on</strong>g K<strong>on</strong>g, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mauritania, New<br />
Zealand, Norway, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Tunisia, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
United Kingdom, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> United States, and recently, Ind<strong>on</strong>esia. The criminalisati<strong>on</strong> of marital<br />
rape in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se countries both in Asia and around <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world indicates that marital rape is now<br />
recognized as a violati<strong>on</strong> of human rights (Refer <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> Appendix).<br />
As seen with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r forms of domestic violence, wives are generally reluctant <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> report<br />
marital rape because of a fear of retaliati<strong>on</strong>, sense of family loyalty, social and financial<br />
dependence, or fear of what will happen <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir children. They prefer <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> avoid <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> social<br />
stigma and scandal that reporting attracts.<br />
Thus it is unlikely, as already proven through <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> experience of o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r countries, that<br />
criminalising rape would open <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> floodgates. In reality <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> criminalisati<strong>on</strong> of marital rape<br />
would serve <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> emphasise <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fact that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> State would not <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>lerate violence against<br />
women including all forms of domestic violence whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y be sexual, physical or<br />
psychological. This would ensure that for those women who can no l<strong>on</strong>ger <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>lerate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />
husbands’ violating <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m physically and sexually (for rape often is accompanied with<br />
o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r forms of assault), <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law provides redress.<br />
C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong><br />
Marital rape is a form of violence against women that cuts across cultural, religious and<br />
ethnic boundaries. There is an urgent need <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> recognize and legislate against marital rape<br />
in Malaysia. Legislati<strong>on</strong> against sexual violence within a marriage will send a clear<br />
message <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> all citizens that sexual violence, whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r it happens in public or in private, is a<br />
violati<strong>on</strong> of rights and will not be <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>lerated. The government must take <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> resp<strong>on</strong>sibility<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> legislate and act against perpetra<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs of violent crimes.<br />
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