UNICEF Response to Romina Ashraafi’s Murder by Her Father: Iranian Girls and Boys Must Be Protected Against Violence
UNICEF issued a statement describing the killing of 14-year-old Iranian girl Romina Ashraafi by her father as “tragic” and “deeply disturbing,” and called for the protection of Iranian girls and boys against all forms of violence.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday, May 29: “At a time when families around the world have stayed home to protect themselves against COVID-19, the loss of a child’s life through such brutal and violent act is deeply disturbing.”
The international organization emphasized that “nothing justifies violence against children. Every child in Iran – every single girl and every single boy – should always be protected against all forms of violence.”
Romina Ashraafi fled home after her family objected to her marriage to a man she loved; however, she was returned to her family by law enforcement and the judiciary, and on May 21 was brutally murdered by her father with a scythe.
In Iran, a bill to protect children and adolescents has not yet been finalized.
One of the characteristics of the “Protection of Children and Adolescents” bill drafted in 2007 is the “criminalization” of any direct or indirect measure that results in harm to children; however, after amendments and passage in parliament, this bill remains pending final approval and is gathering dust on the Guardian Council’s desk.
The stalling of this bill is not the only indication of the lack of protective laws for women and children in Iran. According to the laws of punishment in the Islamic Republic, if a father kills his child, he will not face retaliation, but the public aspect of the crime, which carries 3 to 10 years of imprisonment, will be enforced.
Source: Voice of America
