A report by Equality Now revealed some shocking findings regarding rape laws in different countries across the world. In Greece, Serbia, Thailand and Russia sexual offenders may be legally exempt from punishment under certain conditions, for example of the victim is deemed too young to consent. In Belgium rape is still considered a moral crime, rather than a violent one, with convicted rapist escaping punishment by marrying their victims. About 35% of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence, according to the World Health Organization. One in 10 girls, or 120 million children worldwide, have experienced “forced intercourse or forced sexual acts” at some point in their lives.
The rape of a woman or girl by her husband is legal in 10 out of 82 jurisdictions in 73 UN member states surveyed by the organisation. The report follows a World Bank studythat found 155 of of 173 countries have laws that limit women’s economic opportunities. The Middle East and north Africa had the most discriminatory laws, particularly on the ability of women to work or move freely.
Under the sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN general assembly in 2015, governments have committed to ending violence against women and girls worldwide by 2030.
Equality Now’s report, The World’s Shame: the Global Rape Epidemic, was undertaken with the help of the International Bar Association. In 15 of the 82 jurisdictions examined, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Jordan as well as Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen, rape is treated as an issue of morality rather than violence.
The report highlighted laws or practices that inhibited the investigation of sexual violence – and required witness corroboration and other “overly burdensome evidence” – in countries including Spain, Luxembourg and Morocco. Such laws enable judges to reduce charges or permit evidence, allowing them to be influenced by stereotypes around the victims behaviour, said the report.

Source: theguardian.com