Death Sentence For Sudanese Teen Who Killed Rapist Husband Overturned

An appeal court in Sudan, have overturned the death Sentence passed on Noura Hussein, a sudanese teenager who was sentenced to death by hanging on 10 May 2018 for killing her rapist husband.

Her lawyers who confirmed this development to the press, announced that the court overturned the death sentence, and handed her a 5-year prison term instead, the court also ordered her family to pay 337,000 Sudanese Pounds to the deceased family in compensation.

Noura Hussein’s ordeal sparked international outrage, with activists backing #JusticeforNoura online campaign calling for her release over what they termed extreme disparity in justice for Noura and her late rapist.

In a first-hand account of events which led to the killing of her rapist husband as obtained by CNN, Noura said she was forced to get married at age 15 against her will, to an older man chosen by her family.

Although she tried to wade off the man’s advances without success, she was forced to marry him three years later when she turned 18.

she refused to let her husband consummate their marriage during their honeymoon, and the man sought help of his family members, who stormed their honeymoon hotel, held her down as he raped her.

A day later, her late husband tried to rape her again, and she stabbed him to death. She ran to her parents after the incident, and they turned her over to the police.

“On the ninth day his relatives came, his uncle told me to go to the bedroom. I said no so he dragged me by my arm into the bedroom and his cousin slapped me. All of them tore at my clothing. His uncle held me down by my legs and each of the other two held down my arms. He stripped and had me while I wept and screamed. Finally, they left the room. I was bleeding, I slept naked,” she said.

“The next day he grabbed me, threw me on the bed and tried to climb on top of me. I was fighting back and my hand found a knife under the pillow. We began grappling over the knife. He cut my hand and bit down on my shoulder.” She narrated.

Marital rape is not a crime in Sudan, and girls from 10years and above can legally marry.

The decision of the appellate court to commute her death sentence may represent some sort of victory, but her lawyers vowed to appeal her 5-year jail term and payment of 337,000 Sudanese Pounds to the deceased family.