Afghanistan is a hell hole for women. The fact that the judicial process has resulted in some form of harsh punishment for the rapist is a sign of progress.

The thing to remember is that this is one child who was lucky enough to be transferred to the city and to become the cause du jour. There are thousands of children being sexually abused and otherwise exploited every day in Afghanistan; hopefully this verdict is another step toward hope for them but there's still a long, long way to go.