An eight year old bride in Yemen died from internal injuries on her
wedding night, bleeding to death after deep vaginal tearing caused by
sex with her 40 year old husband.
The girl, identified only by the name Rawan, died in Hardh in the governorate of Hajjah in northwestern Yemen, according to a report.
The girl, identified only by the name Rawan, died in Hardh in the governorate of Hajjah in northwestern Yemen, according to a report.
Activists in the region want to put an end to the practice of
marrying young girls, and have called for police to arrest the girl’s
husband and family. Nevertheless, the forced marriage of child brides in
Yemen remains a socially accepted custom in many rural areas.
Indeed, the practice has deep cultural and religious roots, and is
widespread in Yemen. A February 2009 law set the minimum age for
marriage at 17, but it was repealed after some conservative lawmakers
called it un-Islamic.
The issue of Yemen’s child bride problem made headlines three years
ago when an 8-year-old girl went to court, demanding a judge dissolve
her marriage to a man in his 30s. The girl eventually won a divorce, and
legislators began looking at ways to curb the practice. However, they
have so far been unsuccessful. Currently the law states that parents
should decide when a daughter marries.
Unfortunately, reports indicate more than a quarter of Yemen’s females marry before age 15.
So sad! The parents especially should be held responsible for the death of this youngster.
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