While the Iranian judiciary says it intends to take severe action against the perpetrators of a gang rape in a village near Kashmar, the local Friday Prayers Imam, Ghassem Yaghoubi reports that the rape victim is currently under arrest.
Three days ago, Iranian media reported that a woman had been raped by 10 men in the area around Kashmar, and several informed sources said the crime had taken place more than six weeks ago.
Ghassem Yaghoubi, the leader of Kashmar’s Friday Prayers, mentioned details of the case during his Friday sermon. He called on the Justice Department to attend to the matter immediately, adding that “if people see that their honour can be violated in public without any repercussions….there will be chaos.”
Yaghoubi told reporters that all people involved in the case, including the victim, are under arrest. He expressed his disapproval over the city’s decision to detain the victim.
Last week, another gang rape in a village near Esfahan made headlines in Iran. A group of men crashed into a private party and raped six women.
The judiciary has announced that sentences for the perpetrators in both cases will soon be announced.
Ebrahim Raisi, a spokesman for the judiciary, said that despite the recent incidents, women enjoy greater safety under the Islamic Republic than they do in Western countries.
