A 17 year old girl has been ordered to pay $150,000 to the family of her rapist. Pieper Lewis was only 15 when she was raped repeatedly by a man. The last time, she was taken to the man’s house at knife point. The man then drugged her and raped her. When she awoke and discovered he had raped her again, she stabbed him to death while he slept. Now 17, she is being ordered to pay the family of her rapist, after having already spent time in jail. You can read more about her story here: A 15-Year-Old Who Killed Her Rapist Has to Pay His Family $150,000 This would never happen under Jewish law.
A Rapist Must Marry His Victim
Jewish law is often criticized because of laws, such as, a man must marry a woman he rapes. This law comes from Deuteronomy 22:28-29 : “28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.”
I am often asked why does a girl have to marry her rapist? The question shows their misunderstanding of the law. The rapist must marry the woman, not the other way around. Jewish law is about protecting the victim. If Jewish law had been followed in this case, this young girl would not have gone to jail and would not be facing a life of poverty, because she must pay the family of her rapist. To read more about how Jewish law defends women click here: Can Women Teach and Disobey Men? Biblical Evidence Says Yes!
When the law was written women couldn’t marry, if they were not a virgin, and they couldn’t work to make their own money. This means that a rape victim was at risk of living in poverty, especially if her father for any reason did not believe her and decided to turn her out of his house. The Jewish law ensures the man who harmed her will financially support the rape victim and any children. Should he die, his family would then be responsible for supporting her. The law was written for the protection of the woman. So, in Jewish law, the rapist and his family pay the victim, not the other way around!
Or The Rapist and All His Family Are Slaughtered
“But she murdered him,” one may be tempted to say? In response, I would reference the story of Dinah. In the Torah, when Dinah was raped, her family did believe her. Dinah’s brothers did not wish their sister to marry her rapist. So, they told the rapist he could marry her if he and all the men of his village would be circumcised, in Jewish tradition. When all the men from the village of the rapist were in pain from circumcision, Dinah’s brothers killed and looted the entire village, including the rapist and his family. Their sister’s reputation was worth the lives of many men. The rapist was murdered and the family of the victim was paid. G-d remained with Israel. G-d was on the side of the rape victim.
Stop This Girl From Being Ordered to Pay the Family of Her Rapist! Sign the Petition!!
The holy text gives us two examples of how rape should be dealt with. In both cases, we can clearly see that the protection is for the rape victim, not the rapist or their family. G-d is always on the side of the rape victim. US law has ordered a 17 year old girl to pay the family of a man who raped her repeatedly, when she was only 15. However, G-d’s law says that his young lady was harmed by the rapist and therefore he and even his family deserve death. Under G-d’s law, his family should be paying her. Please sign this petition to grant her clemency. The laws of our nation have failed her, but the people of G-d can still save her. Sign now!
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