Kabul/IBNS, Feb. 19 -- The Taliban has introduced a new penal code that effectively legalises domestic violence against women and children, provided the abuse does not result in "broken bones or open wounds".

The 90-page code, signed by the group's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, allows husbands to physically punish their wives and children under strict conditions that critics say normalise abuse rather than prevent it.

Under the new provisions, a husband who causes visible fractures or injuries through what the code terms "obscene force" could face a maximum of just 15 days in prison.

Even then, a conviction depends on the woman successfully proving the abuse in court.

Women are required to present their injuries before a judge...