Question: could this story be any more charming?
An eight-year-old girl who was married off to a 58-year-old must stay with the man until she reaches puberty, a Saudi court has ruled. The youngster was married off by her father in exchange for a £4,000 dowry. Relatives of the girl said the groom had agreed not to consummate the marriage for 10 years and to allow the youngster to live with her mother… “The judge has dismissed the plea because she does not have the right to file such a case, and ordered that the plea should be filed by the girl herself when she reaches puberty,” lawyer Abdullah Jtili told the AFP news agency.
Answer: yes:
The marriage contract was signed by the father and the groom. It is understood the father had debt problems and wanted to secure an advance dowry… A girl aged eight was granted a divorce in Yemen in April after her unemployed father forced her to marry a man of 28.
Debt, unemployment, bad poker hands. There are all kinds of reasons girls end up being sold to lecherous men. And here’s the link to that thing about marrying one year old girls in Saudi Arabia. No joke. There’s a video on it.
References:
* Hey Gals, Check This Out – Saudi Marriage Official Advises Your Husband Not To Have Sex With You When You’re His 1 Year Old Toddler Wife [MR]
* No Divorce For Eight-Year-Old [Sky News]
* Hey Gals, Check This Out – Academic Feminism Not Doing Much To Stop Teenage Girls From Being Lost In Pakistani Poker Games [MR]
Previously:
* Hey Gals, Check It Out – Another Day, Another Stupid "Veil Is Empowering" Story
* Hey Gals, Check This Out – Political Islam Lets You Choose Between Blowing Yourself Up Or Getting Bludgeoned To Death With Rocks
* Hey Gals, Check This Out – Saudi Arabian "Idealists" Think You’re Too Dirty To Get Good Medical Care
