Algeria puts new law banning violence against women into action

Algeria has published the provisions of a law banning violence against women in the official gazette, which effectively puts the law into force.

The law punishes domestic violence and violence against women, including acts of sexual harassment.

Under the new law, harassing women in public places is punishable with three to six months in prison, Algeria’s Shorouk newspaper reported on Monday. The punishment increases to three years in prison if the victim is a minor.

The new law punishes domestic violence with one to three years in prison and allows the judge to sentence the perpetrator to death if the assault resulted in the death of the victim.

According to police reports, more than 7,300 cases of violence against women were reported in Algeria during the first nine months of last year, including 5,350 cases of physical violence.

The Algerian radio reported Police Governor Sultaniyah Hayat as saying that the figures included 22 cases of intentional murder and four cases of physical violence that led to death. There were also 206 cases of sexual assault, 81 cases of sexual harassment and six cases of incest.

According to Hayat Algiers, the capital registered 1,159 cases of violence against women, the highest number in the country, followed by Oran and Constantine.