New Delhi - An Indian rape victim is being forced by village elders to "marry" her rapist - her father-in-law, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Community leaders in Charthawal village, backed by local Muslim clerics, believe that by being raped, 28-year-old Imrana's 10-year marriage has been nullified under Islamic law.
Holding a special council on Sunday, village leaders ordered the mother of five to leave her husband, Noor Mohammed, and live with her parental family for seven months and 10 days and make herself "pure" again, reports said. It did not say how she becomes pure.
After that, she must "marry" her father-in-law and live with him, along with his legal wife.
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"She... will then be like a mother to Noor Mohammed," the local cleric Shamim Ahmad was quoted as saying.
Her four brothers have agreed to the edict. She has not, but in India, victims of crime often have nowhere to turn and with even her own family supporting the edict she may have little choice.
Police are now investigating and say they plan to arrest the father-in-law. They refuse to comment on the village elders' ruling, saying it is a sensitive religious issue.
The village is in Uttar Pradesh, one of India's poorest states and its most populous, with more than 165-million people.
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