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Last update - 06:43 07/11/2006 Report: 23 percent of Palestinian women endure domestic violence By The Associated Press A new report paints an alarming picture of the abuse of women in the Palestinian territories, with police, courts and government agencies failing to treat violence such as rape and beatings as a crime. According to a survey by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics of more than 4,000 households in December 2005 and January 2006, 23 percent of the women said they had experienced domestic violence, but just over 1 percent filed a complaint. Two-thirds said they were subjected to psychological abuse at home. The New York-based Human Rights Watch cited practices such as rape victims being forced to marry assailants and light sentences for men who kill female relatives suspected of adultery. It said families, tribal leaders and authorities, backed by tradition and discriminatory laws, often sacrifice victims' interests for "family honor." Advertisement The problem is only getting worse with growing poverty and lawlessness in the West Bank and Gaza, the report said. Human Rights Watch called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, parliament and government ministries to make the protection of women a top priority. More can be done, the report said, despite the ongoing conflict with Israel and the cash crisis brought on by the rise to power of Hamas. Researcher Lucy Mair said Human Rights Watch singled out the Palestinian territories because of concern that the abuse will increase and because some Palestinian government officials have signaled they are ready for change. Commenting on the report, Adnan Amr, a legal adviser to Abbas, admitted that Palestinian authorities are "weak" in enforcing the law "because of the security and political situation. All Palestinians, not only women, are paying a heavy price for the chaos," referring to struggles between rival Palestinian groups. The report found that abusers are granted virtual immunity. Rapists who marry their victims are not prosecuted, and such deals are often arranged by the families, tribal leaders and local police chiefs. The law is lenient with men who kill female relatives because of adultery. Yet it bars rape and incest victims from having abortions. Rape within marriage is not considered a crime. Police and hospital doctors are not trained to handle abuse cases and often further humiliate victims, the report said. In one hospital in Nablus, a doctor announced to a crowded waiting room that his unmarried 16-year-old patient was pregnant. The girl's mother later cited this as the main reason for her decision to kill her daughter. A premium is placed on female virginity, with rapists facing a lesser punishment if the victim is not a virgin. Virginity tests are imposed on sexual abuse victims against their will. The women's fate is increasingly determined by tribal leaders or Palestinian Authority-appointed governors, rather than overloaded courts. The informal justice system is often arbitrary and biased against the victims. Victims are often afraid to come forward because of social stigma, the perceived futility of complaining and fear of inviting retribution by relatives. However, Manal Kleibo, a lawyer at the Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling in Ramallah, said she has detected a change in recent years, and that the authorities are increasingly willing to work with her group. Human Rights Watch made a series of recommendations. It said Abbas should launch a public awareness campaign and make it clear he does not tolerate violence against women. He should also demand that those currently settling abuse cases informally refer all cases to the proper authorities. Police should establish special units to deal with victims of abuse, and the legislature should repeal the most discriminatory provisions. Bookmark to del.icio.us   In the line of fire Rights Group: Over 50% of Gaza casualties weren't militants. Uncle Sam blames you U.S. blames Hamas for sparking violence in south Israel, Gaza.   1.   dont forget about using women as human shield 07:11  |  vik 07/11/06   2.   Human rights 07:13  |  Danite 07/11/06   3.   Domestic Violence 07:38  |  Terry 07/11/06   4.   Gosh, it must be because of the "occupation" 08:36  |  David Teich 07/11/06   5.   Where`s Clickfool when we need him? 09:07  |  Fickcool 07/11/06   6.   Where is/was the outcry from the Intenational sisterhood.? 09:11  |  PETER SM 07/11/06   7.   ...And the rest endure Jewish criminality 09:17  |  Israeli woman 07/11/06   8.   Dutch, Wahhib, Clickfool, Johnboy 09:22  |  Wired Jew 07/11/06   9.   IT`S THE OCCUPATION AND MASSACRES AND MASSACRES AND OCCUPATION 09:26  |  Buncha kooks 07/11/06   10.   DV in ISRAEL a HUGE problem 09:40  |  observer 07/11/06   11.   to PeterSM on intl sisterhood 10:17  |  Watcher 07/11/06   12.   Observe 10:40  |  Fickcool 07/11/06   13.   #9 10:55  |  pete 07/11/06   14.   Watcher, question 11:00  |  Fickcool 07/11/06   15.   vik 11:02  |  andrew 07/11/06   16.   David Teich 11:08  |  sharon 07/11/06   17.   What is the % in Israel? 11:11  |  Ralph 07/11/06   18.   OBSERVER.Thirst for blood? please explain.Are they drinking 11:11  |  PETER SM 07/11/06   19.   to #12 11:20  |  observer 07/11/06   20.   G`day to, Watcher, PeterSM, David Teich and Co. 11:57  |  Maureen Ann 07/11/06   21.   HOW ABOUT FIGURES IN ISRAEL? 12:03  |  Messaoud 07/11/06   22.   ENTIRE ARAB MUSLIM WORLD HAS HIGHER STATS THAN THE REST OF WORLD 12:13  |  Ben 07/11/06   23.   Idea for a national anthem 12:17  |  Paul Henzen 07/11/06   24.   I am much more worried about Israeli women !! 12:46  |  Swiss 07/11/06   25.   Danite 12:53  |  sh 07/11/06   26.   WHAT A SUPRISE 13:04  |  Dr David I.Gross 07/11/06   27.   It is more 13:08  |  From the Moon 07/11/06   28.   Forwarded the link to some friends 13:18  |  G.S. 07/11/06   29.   Our own % is not good either 13:20  |  Levi 07/11/06   30.   20% of US families experience domestic violence 13:23  |  Clickfool 07/11/06   31.   Palestine Women violence 13:52  |  Laura 07/11/06   32.   I am much more worried about Swiss people 13:59  |  Lasting peace 07/11/06   33.   Unemployment is the base cause ! 14:07  |  David James Vickery 07/11/06   34.   women 14:26  |  Paul 07/11/06   35.   to Fickcool on Maureen 14:31  |  Watcher 07/11/06   36.   a question to Maureen 14:33  |  Watcher 07/11/06   37.   How about figures in Messaoud`s home 14:37  |  Liberator 07/11/06   38.   Laura welcome to the loony toon university 14:39  |  Watcher 07/11/06   39.   The same problem has arisen in Europe 14:46  |  Jonathan S 07/11/06   40.   ISLAM FORBIDS DOMESTIK VIOLENCE 14:48  |  indrajaya 07/11/06   41.   Woman power! 15:04  |  Fred Drummer 07/11/06   42.   #1 Vik and so Israeli women, they work in IDF 15:05  |  Gaza Boy 07/11/06   43.   so... 15:08  |  ravi 07/11/06   44.   Liberator#34... DO NOT WORRY 15:11  |  Messaoud 07/11/06   45.   Indrajaya 15:11  |  Fred Drummer 07/11/06   46.   to Jonathan 15:13  |  Anubhav 07/11/06   47.   In the US it is 49% 15:15  |  Stephen Murray 07/11/06   48.   who cares? 15:19  |  mohammed al sahhaf 07/11/06   49.   #1: Women as human shields? 15:25  |  Stephen Murray 07/11/06   50.   HOW ABOUT FIGURES IN JORDAN,EGYPT,SYRIA,LEBANON? 15:42  |  Nina 07/11/06   51.   Amazing 15:43  |  Lynn 07/11/06   52.   laura and Maureen 15:43  |  bev 07/11/06   53.   swiss 15:48  |  bev 07/11/06   54.   dj vickery 15:53  |  bev 07/11/06   55.   gaza boy 16:01  |  bev 07/11/06   56.   ravi 16:07  |  bev 07/11/06   57.   To Anubhav about Europe 16:12  |  Jonathan S 07/11/06   58.   To Laura, 29 16:22  |  Jozef 07/11/06   59.   palestinian women 16:24  |  jerry 07/11/06   60.   sh 16:29  |  Danite 07/11/06   61.   ravi 16:34  |  Anubhav 07/11/06   62.   28: Now Clickfool`s lying about statistics 16:36  |  David Tech 07/11/06   63.   bev 16:50  |  Danite 07/11/06   64.   indrajaya....you don`t respect your women. 16:54  |  maria 07/11/06   65.   Weird follow on to statistics 16:57  |  David Teich 07/11/06   66.   jerry #59 are they wives to them(israeli armies) 16:58  |  maria 07/11/06   67.   Oy Danite! 17:09  |  sh 07/11/06   68.   Further Proof of the Utter Moral Bankruptcy of this Society 17:12  |  Bimmer 07/11/06   69.   # 53 Bev Sorry, but it`s clear to me now... 17:12  |  Swiss 07/11/06   70.   indraya 17:16  |  Danite 07/11/06   71.   Indonesian dude 17:17  |  Linichka 07/11/06   72.   to Jonathan S 17:30  |  Anubhav 07/11/06   73.   A Uni