Valais
Syrian accused of sexual acts against a minor could escape punishment. His wife has denied any forced marriage.
For two years, the couple has been officially married.
–iStock / pretext image
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In 2015, a 15-year-old Syrian woman, who arrived in Valais the year before, lived the sad custom of arranged marriage. She was taken to Chur (GR) to unite, outside the legal framework, with a 26-year-old cousin. A religious ceremony preceded sexual intercourse, to “verify that she was a virgin.” When the teen screamed in pain, the boyfriend gagged him. Then there were anal intercourse “to prevent her from getting pregnant.” Reported by another cousin, the man was warned of sex with children. The victim also filed a complaint and then withdrew it.
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Justice has not rushed to deal with this case. It was not until Monday that the accused and the victim were heard at the Court of Zion. They appeared there officially married for two years and parents of two young girls, born in 2017 and 2018. The family lives in harmony in Graubünden, where the husband has a job, the interpreter translated. The facts were recognized, except for the dates of the sexual intercourse, and the wife assured that it was not a forced marriage: her words, during the investigation, would have been misunderstood.
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Absent from the hearing, the prosecutor waived a sentence, but requested that the accused pay the costs of the case. Claiming that the young woman was caught in a family loyalty dispute, defense counsel argued for the acquittal. The judgment will be sent in writing.
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