A DAP lawmaker has urged the government to fulfil its obligations under a United Nations resolution to end child, early and forced marriage, following the recent case where a 35-year-old man pleaded guilty over two charges of raping his 11-year-old sister-in-law .

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching in a statement said that the accused, in the first place, should not have been allowed to marry his wife, a 14-year-old disabled girl.

“Not only did he make his under-age wife capture the alleged rape episodes on a video camera, he even copied the recording to VCDs and then sold them to his friends.

“First of all, why was a 14-year-old disabled girl allowed to marry a 35-year-old man? Is it not obvious that she is an easy target of abuse?” she said, adding that the government has also removed its reservation to Article 16(b) of The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) that touches on rights related to marriage.

Malay daily Harian Metro last week reported that the unemployed man was arrested for raping his wife’s sister and he pleaded guilty when charged at the Seremban Sessions Court yesterday.

He had allegedly raped the underage girl at a house in Port Dickson on Sept 1 and Nov 23.

Teo said she had raised the issue in Parliament numerous times as studies have shown that girls aged between 10 and 14 are five times more likely than women aged 20 to 24 to die in pregnancy and childbirth.

Teo, who noted that Muslims can marry at any age with permission of the Syariah court, also said child brides are less likely to complete their education, and more vulnerable to physical, sexual and mental abuse.

“This is exactly what happened in the case before us. Not only the underage wife has been manipulated by her husband, but even her 11-year-old sister has become a victim of sexual violence.

Harian Metro quoted a source who said the incident came to light when the recording was circulated through mobile application WhatsApp and somehow found its way to the victim’s father.

If found guilty, the accused could be jailed for a term not less than five years and a maximum of 30 years.

He shall also be liable to whipping under Section 376 of the Penal Code.