CNN is committed to covering gender inequality wherever it occurs in the world. This story is part of As Equals, a year-long series.
A Sudanese court has commuted the death sentence for teenager Noura Hussein, who killed her husband after he raped her, in a case that has put a spotlight on forced child marriage and marital rape in the African nation.
Her legal team told CNN on Tuesday that Hussein, now 19, has been given a five-year jail term for killing the 35-year-old man. The court ordered her family to pay 337,000 Sudanese pounds ($18,700) in "blood money" to the man's family.
Her lawyers say they plan to appeal both the jail term and the payment.
Last week, CNN obtained a first-hand account from the teenager as she awaited retrial in an Omdurman prison cell after appealing her death sentence
An illustration used in the Change.org campaign for Noura Hussein.
In her account, Hussein said her family had forced her to get married at 15, but allowed her to finish school. Three years later, after a public wedding, her husband tried to consummate the marriage. After refusing to have sex with him on their "honeymoon," she says he raped her as members of his family held her down.
SmurfStop on June 26th, 2018 at 19:02 UTC »
" The legal age to enter into marriage in Sudan is 10 and marital rape is not a crime."
What the fuck ?
imendoc on June 26th, 2018 at 17:49 UTC »
Her story touched a nerve in Sudan she had lots of support in Sudan and all over Sudanese whatsapp and facebook. She still shouldn't have to spend 5 years in jail but I am glad the death sentence is reversed.
Btw, the real heroes in this story are her lawyers and activists in Khartoum who stood by her when her own family abandoned her. This line of work is really hard in Sudan and the gov't sent secret police to intimidate one her lawyers but they stood firm.
J4CKR4BB1TSL1MS on June 26th, 2018 at 16:26 UTC »
The fact that his family was involved makes this even worse. Not just one deranged individual but either a deranged family or horrible cultural habits. Probably a bit (a lot) of both.