DIFRET: SELF-DEFENSE OR MURDER? Lauryn Langford
Marriage by abduction or bride kidnapping is an act in which a man abducts the woman he intends to marry. In most countries, bride kidnapping is considered a sex crime, but in others it is still a common practice. In the country of Ethiopia, bride kidnapping, known as “telefa” is considered a traditional practice and makes up the majority of marriages. In most cases, young girls are abducted on horseback and are then hidden and raped until they become pregnant. Their abductors can then legitimize the marriage and negotiate a bride price with the village elders. This is exactly what happened to Aberash Bekele at the young age of 14. Her abductor along with six other men kidnapped her one evening after leaving school. She was then raped and brutally beaten. Fortunately, Bekele was able to escape her captors by shooting and killing her would-be husband with his own gun. Bekele was arrested shortly after and faced the death penalty for killing a man. Meaza Ashenafi, a female lawyer, came to Bekele’s aid, and for two long years they worked together to fight the charge of murder. Aberash Bekele was eventually set free on the basis of self-defense, and “telefa” was deemed illegal in the country of Ethiopia. The film Difret directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari recounts this true story. One evening after being promoted to the fifth grade, 14-year-old Hirut Assefa (based on Bekele) is faced with the death penalty after shooting her abductor dead. With the legal aid of Meaza Ashenafi and the Ethiopian Women Lawyer’s Association, Difret tells the story of how two women challenged a cultural practice. Mehari’s film is important because it presents to viewers the socio-structural issue of gender based violence and its deep roots in many cultural traditions. Difret creates a dialogue to discuss many issues such as violence against women, sexism, and the ways we can change harmful cultural traditions.
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