IRAN
Article 49 exempts children from punishment. Addendum 1 to this article defines a child as someone before puberty.
But in the civil law puberty for boys is 15 and for girls 9 lunar years (article 1210, addendum 1).
So girls come of age for punishments six years before boys. This is particularly striking since in everything else such as inheritance, custody over children, marriage, divorce, ownership, travel, giving witness etc women are considered delicate creatures in need of protection by men. But when it comes to being punished, suddenly they are more mature and responsible for their actions. Less rights, more punishment. One can imagine a situation where a boy of 14 and a girl of 9 steal. According to the law she would lose four fingers of her right hand for first offence (article 201), her left foot for the second offence, prison for third and execution for the fourth! He would go scott free.
Auszüge aus dem Strafgesetzbuch der islamischen Republik Iran.
