HRC saves Buraidah’s child bride

Author: 
Walaa Hawari | Arab News
Publication Date: 
Tue, 2010-01-19 03:00

RIYADH: An 80-year-old man has been convinced to annul his marriage to a 12-year-old girl, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) has said.

The HRC had established a committee to investigate the marriage after complaints from the girl’s mother, who is divorced. The husband’s agreement to the divorce is the latest twist in the saga since he married the child in Buraidah recently.

The committee said on Monday that meetings had been held over the last two days with the husband, the girl’s father and her legal representative to finalize a divorce.

HRC Media Officer Mohammad Al-Muadi also said committee members met with the officials who approved the marriage as well as the governor of the region and court representatives.

The husband finally promised to divorce the girl within the next few days according to Al-Muadi. This particular child marriage case is one of many that have gripped Saudi society over the last few years.

Although they are still considered isolated incidents, there are fears that they may eventually become part of a growing trend.

The HRC had previously asked the Ministry of Justice to introduce regulations to eliminate the possibility of child marriages occurring, but none have been implemented as yet.

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