Lebanese Wife-Beater Convicted under New Law
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A Lebanese man who beat his wife has been jailed for nine months in the first such conviction under a domestic violence law passed in April.
Hussein Ftouni, aged 30, will also be fined 20 million Lebanese pounds ($13,258) for a brutal assault on his 22-year-old wife Tamara Harissi.
Women's rights group Kafa said the verdict, announced on Tuesday, was a milestone first conviction, but criticized the short sentence.
"It's the first case where the perpetrator has been sentenced under the new law, that we are aware of," Kafa communications coordinator Maya Ammar told AFP.
"But we don't see the sentence as sufficient. Of course it is better than releasing him, as his attorney requested, but he was convicted of beating her, not attempted murder," she said.
"For us, the evidence clearly shows attempted murder, and we think that is what he should have been convicted of."
Speaking to AFP at her parents' home, Harissi said: "Considering all the pain I went through in the past year and a half (of marriage), even a life sentence wouldn't really be sufficient."
"Life with him (her husband) was no life at all... every week I was beaten," she said in a soft voice.
"Once, he dragged me by the hair onto the street, in front of everyone, just because I was wearing clothes he didn't like," she alleged.
Harissi married Ftouni in secret, because her family was against the union from the start.
She said the last time her husband beat her was on June 8. She said he tied her feet up, poured alcohol over her and tried to set her on fire. He left the house briefly, threatening to kill her on his return.
Harissi managed to escape, and phoned her sister, who then got the security forces to intervene.
Ammar said Harissi had not yet decided whether to appeal the nine-month sentence.
She called the case something of a milestone, praising the speedy issuance of a protection order, Ftouni's arrest and the verdict against him.
But she also said Harissi faced the challenge of seeking a divorce through a religious court.
"She still has a long battle to go through, but hopefully the religious authorities will grant her a divorce," said Ammar.
Lebanon is seen as one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East, but many of its laws continue to discriminate against women.
Women suffering domestic abuse often fail to report it for fear of public criticism, and police have been known to tell victims of spousal assault to return to their husbands.
02 July 2014, 11:12
56
I have not seen a lot of Christians in Lebanon committing crimes of violence whether terrorism or other violence like this. We are still 30 or 40 pct. Are we more refined or is it not reported. I haven't seen us on here kidnapping, drugs, or shooting at soldiers or being arrested for guns. Are we better behaved or is the news biased? What about this observation instead of Iran vs Saudi debate?
02 July 2014, 12:06
42
Zahle1 i am christian and this kind of observation is baseless. Being refined would be not to see things from a religious perspective.
02 July 2014, 17:44
02
Batata we spend so much time on Sunni vs Shia. Iran vs Saudi. I don't think this is baseless at all. I am not saying anything from a religious perspective. Everyone's religion is fine. I am making on observation on the news reported and an observation of the sects involved. If you feel the crimes committed are not disproportionate pick a week time period over the past 5 years, or even past month and prove me wrong. Its either a fact the the violence is disproportionate, or a media reporting issue. You tell me which one it is.
02 July 2014, 14:07
14
This is good dialog. The civil war. Bravo. No doubt. So let's talk about times since we were young. I'm talking recent years. We can go back 100s of years if we like and find bad people regardless of sect no doubt. How about the past 5 years? That is a long time right? It seems extremely disproportionate. I'm talking In Lebanon. You see elyasel I read this site everyday. Every single day. And you need to stretch back 24 years plus maybe more. Or you point out a story about a guy who killed his wife, I'm not sure who or where but maybe that article was posted on here if you say so. I'm saying I read something on here every day about Sunni and Shia and Iran and Saudi and kidnapping and wife beating and shooting Lebanese troops and militia in Syria and killing crusader speech and protecting holy sites and killing Sunni to protect Lebanon. And shooting at isf and killing LAF and attacking places or worship....
02 July 2014, 14:07
14
You are on this site, I read this site, we are 30 or 40 pct, I'm not seeing the crimes reported. Does anyone have links in the past 5 years of Christians in Lebanon shooting at Lebanese troops, attacking mosques, kidnapping others, using militias in the name of stopping terror? Maybe Christians are just as guilty and commit all of these things proportionately and I'm missing all of the articles? The war was ugly I'm not talking civil war. If you want to go back 24 to 40 years that's silly. I'm talking recent. Why little to no reports on violence from Christians? By the way what does liberal or conservative have to do with committing crimes? I am a conservative by the way.
03 July 2014, 02:24
00
Vast majority of the Christians politicians voted in favour of stricter domestic violence punishments. Vast majority of Muslims voted against it...so it didn't pass.
04 July 2014, 16:14
00
Everywhere one looks there are pictures and words of violence. People are being programmed to turn from kind, gentle individuals to angry and violent individuals. This is magnified by economic difficulty.
When it comes to religious differences, Christians have the strong connection to Jesus who exemplified LOVE, PEACE, COMPASSION, HEALING. His teachings imbue these qualities upon those who think of him, read his words and keep him in their field of existence. It is impossible to be connected to Jesus and become violent and hence he is known as the Prince of Peace.
02 July 2014, 11:45
12
Just an off topic note, why is our currency referred to as "pound"? It is "lira" and on the currency itself, it is printed "livres".
02 July 2014, 18:55
00
well, that's because "pound" is the correct translation of "livre". For example the UK currency "pound sterling" is translated into "livre sterling". Originally, the term comes from Latin "libra".
Some countries prefer/promote the transliteration of their currencies instead of translations, Lebanon accepts "pound" as the english translation of arabic "lira".
02 July 2014, 11:49
33
Zahle1, Are you sure you are looking? Or you are just closing your eyes pretending nothing is happening? This is happening in the Christian community, it's happening a lot! Christians like to believe themselves as being more liberal, truth is they are not so liberal ...
02 July 2014, 14:13
13
No not liberal at all. I'm conservative. Conservative social and religious, both. Nothing to do with terror, shooting our troops, kidnapping... So Georges, if it happens so me the posts on here, the articles. I'm not seeing them. I'm definitely not seeing them 30 or 40pct. You tell me. The news is biased, we have an Israeli media in Lebanon like the USA, or it's not happening. Which one is it? Look at today, look at the past wee, the past month. Prove me wrong! Who is shooting at Lebanese troops and isf everyday? Who is sending militias back and forth? Who is kidnapping for ransom? Post it! Prove me wrong. Show me the darn articles! Is it biased media or reporting the news as it happens?
02 July 2014, 12:03
36
This man should've gotten much longer than just 9 months. Women are not objects in Lebanon and should not be treated like objects. There is no room in Lebanon for Saudi-style practices and laws. Whoever wants to live under barbaric, radical terrorist rule can move to Saudi Arabia.
02 July 2014, 13:07
15
I totally agree with you karim.. but have you ever looked into the "barbaric" laws we have when a women wishes to divorce? or when child custody is being decided? I didn't, i always thought we were like all civilized countries, until a family member was divorcing. Women have no say in such issues, the father if good or bad they directly give the child to the him. Also a divorced mother needs a signed consent to travel with her child while the father is not required to. Also she is lucky if gets child support...and i'm not going to start telling you how those religious figures are corrupt and take money to keep their eyes shut...
P.S: I'm not talking about one specific sect but all.
02 July 2014, 13:38
25
partition now and let every canton be ruled by its religion ou helo 3ana ba2a
02 July 2014, 13:45
14
religion is like a pair of shoes , find one that fits for you , but don't make me wear your shoes
god bless democracy
02 July 2014, 17:47
02
Yes pick any religion ya hanoun and just don't kidnap, and shoot our LAF and ISF and go to other countries to fight as a militia outside of the state. Be any religion and refrain from the above. You don't have to wear my shoes just don't wear shoes that do the above, I could care less what religion.
02 July 2014, 16:34
00
Crime has no religion, race, geography.. Most cases of rape in Lebanon and most of the world go unreported as most victims are raped by family members, or family friends. Most do not press charges!! Let us not even discuss rape and sexual assault in the church that has plagued Pope Benidctus XIV years as pope. As for the Muslims, how many fathers receive a large dowery to accept marrying their minor daughters to men 20, 30, 40 years older. Many of these transactions occur in the religious courts!!! That amounts to assault, in my opinion. There are more educated people, who commit different kinds of crime, the wealthier they are the more resources they have to hide their crimes, or defend themselves. This goes everywhere. As for Lebanon, all the same trash. Those calling themselves more refined are actually trying to get a mass murderer into the presidency!
03 July 2014, 13:02
00
Crime does have geography. It happens in some areas exponentially more than others. Again, everyday there is violence in Lebanon reported by serta in sects? Don't talk about a church with issues in other countries. Do you really want to talk about rape and forced conversion? What about Nigeria? Egypt? Iraq? Don't go there. We are talking Lebanon. Why the disproportionate violence reported? Real or a reporting issue?
