Forced virginity testing banned

Istanbul - Turkey's Justice Ministry said yesterday it had issued a decree to the country's prosecutors banning the much-maligned…

Istanbul - Turkey's Justice Ministry said yesterday it had issued a decree to the country's prosecutors banning the much-maligned practice of forced virginity testing on women.

Several teenage girls commit suicide each year after being subjected to the examination to check if their hymen is intact. The practice is especially prevalent in state-run school dormitories in rural areas of Turkey, where sex before marriage is frowned upon.

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