Legal Requirements and Jurisprudential Teachings on the Protection of Women Victims of Marital Rape

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Civilization and World Studies, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran

2 PhD student in criminal law and criminology, Faculty of Civilization and World Studies, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch. Karaj, Iran.

Abstract

Marital rape,from the perspectives of criminal law and criminology,is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon that requires a simultaneous examination from jurisprudential(Fiqhi),legal,and social viewpoints.From a social standpoint,women are often coerced into unwanted sexual acts within maritalrelations without their free consent—a reality whose nature is in no way justifiable by the marital bond.On the other hand,the jurisprudential doctrines of both Imamiyyah and Sunni criminal jurisprudence regard maritalrape as aclear instance of inflicting harm(Iza'aGhayr)and a forbidden(Haram)act.Using a comparative and analytical approach,this study identifies the main obstacles to criminalizing maritalrape in Iran as the lack of a specific criminal definition,traditional interpretations,and the absence of appropriate criminal sanctions.Implementation challenges—such as the difficulty of proving the offense,deep-rooted cultural barriers,and the lack of unified judicial procedures—arealso among the limiting factors in confronting this phenomenon.The research emphasizes the necessity of a fundamental revision in Iran's criminal policy,grounded in both jurisprudential teachings and human rights principles.

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References

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Criminal Law Research
Volume 17, Issue 1 - Serial Number 33
Papers
July 2026
Pages 71-86

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