The judge quotes from the Old Testament and alludes to the Quran, both of which are examples of legalism. Jesus fulfilled the law and supplanted it with grace. When He was brought an adulterous woman, her accusers wanted Him to lead the stoning, but Jesus said, 'Let him who is without sin cast the first stone'. Her accusers disappeared; Jesus forgave the woman and told her to go and sin no more. That's grace! That's Christianity!
© West Coast Surfer / Global Look Press
Portuguese judges sparked anger after quoting the Bible as justification for handing down a suspended sentence to a man who attacked his ex-wife with a nail-studded bat. He had alleged that she was unfaithful to him.
The attacker was given a 15-month suspended sentence, and a fine of €1,750, for the 2015 assault, which left his victim covered in cuts and bruises. Prosecutors had argued that the sentence was too lenient and appealed for three-and-a half-years jail time. This request was rejected by appeal court judges on October 11, according to AP.
In the Porto court's written ruling, which became available only on Monday, the judges wrote that "adultery of the woman is a very serious attack on the honor and dignity of man," before further noting that there are still some societies in which "the adulterous woman is stoned to death,” as cited by Publico.
"In the Bible we can read that the adulterous woman should be punished with death,” wrote judge Neto de Moura, who then went on to use a 19th-century law to justify the lenient sentence for the attacker.
He used a 4,000 year old law to condemn the woman. Was he confident that the man had never committed adultery on his wife? Was it even a consideration? Is a wife justified in beating her husband if he cheats on her? Portuguese law has just taken a step back into the dark ages. I'm sure Muslim men will be thrilled.
“It was not long ago that the criminal law [of 1886] punished with little more than a symbolic penalty the man who, finding his wife in adultery, in that act killed her. Women’s adultery is a conduct that society has always condemned and strongly condemns (and honest women are the first to stigmatize adulteresses), and so she sees with some understanding the violence exercised by the man [who was] betrayed, vexed and humiliated by the woman,” he added.
But men's adultery has always been excused. Come on Portugal; enter the 21st century. It's time to retire some senior judges!
Criticizing the ruling, Attorney General Guilherme Figueiredo said: "It creates the false idea that the adulterous woman deserves punishment, unlike the adulterous man, which can create a wrong idea for violent citizens. We must be aware that there is a very serious problem of domestic violence in Portugal.”
Women's rights groups also criticized the judges, with the Women’s Alternative and Response Union describing the ruling as “inadmissible” because it legitimizes violence against women. The group also said it planned to hold protest rallies this Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment