Afghanistan: Taliban issues law allowing beating of women, children

Today, Saturday, the Taliban issued a new penal law allowing men to beat their “wives and children,” provided that it does not result in “visible fractures or open wounds.” The law classifies domestic violence as a “discretionary” matter rather than treating it as an explicit criminal offense.

According to what was published by The Telegraph, the 60-page law bears the signature of the so-called “Supreme Leader” of the Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and has been circulated to courts across the country.

The law grants husbands the authority to use violence against their wives and children in the absence of effective legal protection mechanisms. Even in cases of serious injury, the maximum penalty does not exceed 15 days in prison, with legal wording that makes proving such injury extremely difficult.

The legislation also does not include any clear guarantees for protection from physical, psychological, or sexual violence. It places obstacles in the way of filing complaints, as women are required to present their injuries before a male judge, in the presence of a male guardian—often the husband himself.

In a related context, the law stipulates punishment for women who flee to their family homes to escape abuse, with prison sentences of up to three months. The same penalty applies to family members who provide them shelter.

A-H 

ANHA