Shariah Court in Malaysia Allows Man To Marry 13-Year-Old He is Accused of Raping

Man says the marriage is consensual

In an unfortunate turn of events in a Malaysian rape case, a 40-year-old man accused of rape has married the teenage victim.

Riduan Masmud was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl last February. On Monday, his counsel Loretto Padua revealed to the court that Masmud is now married to the young girl he was accused of assaulting. As The Daily Express notes, Padua had previously told the court that Masmud was in the process of seeking a lawful marriage to the teen in Syariah Court—a separate court system that has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to Islamic law.