Any violence against women is crime: UN

The Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Violence Against Women, Yakin Ertürk, and the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Councilon Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Manfred Nowak today said that many countries fail to recognise some forms of violence against women as crimes.They said this on the occasion of International Day Against Violence Against Womenwhich falls tomorrow.Saying that cultural or religious paradigms are still invoked to condone female genital mutilation, the execution and murder of women, marital rape and other forms of violence, they called for application of international instruments and development of strategies to condemn and punish torture.They have pointed an increased and explicit recognition of some forms of violence against women in international and national courts as amounting to torture and ill-treatment, the best known examples being rape by private or public actors in conflict or in custodial settings.Other forms of violence against women, such as physical orsexual violence in an intimate relationship or female genital mutilation, if committed with the acquiescence of the State, may qualify as torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment as well.