Child Bride Dies from Sexual Trauma
- Details
- Category: World News
- Published on Wednesday, 11 September 2013 07:53
- Written by Janet Walker
An eight year old Yemen child bride died from internal injuries brought on by sexual trauma suffered when her pedophile husband, nearly five times her age, raped her after the wedding ceremony.
Media and Human Rights Organizations are outraged at the report and are demanding the “husband” be arrested for murder. The death was originally denied by local townspeople and the law enforcement of Meedi in northwestern Yemen near Saudi Arabia.
The child identified as Rawan bled to death from uterine rupture and sexual trauma.
Yawa Orthman, the head of Yemen House of Folklore, and a local Human Right advocate spoke with Reuters and other news agencies regarding the death. She stated, “On the wedding night and after intercourse, she [the child] suffered from bleeding and uterine rupture which caused her death. They took her to a clinic but the medics couldn’t save her life.”
Orthamn, who has three daughters, is considered a revolutionary, indicated the village officials tried to cover up the murder.
According to Yemen Online quoting Gulf News a Dubai based news agency the story is false and generated to create sensationalism.
“When I heard the rumors [of the girl's death], I called the girl’s father," the local director of Criminal Investigation, Mosleh Al Azzani, told Gulf News by telephone on Monday. "He came with his daughter and denied the marriage and death of his daughter. I have the photos of the girl and will show it to anyone.”
Daughters of poverty stricken villagers in Middle Eastern countries are often sold to defer the costs of raising the child. The dowry often consists of pledges for the child’s safety and common comforts for the family. Children have no choice in the matter. Decisions are made by the local male council where the marriage is determined and the death, should it occur, is legitimized.
Sexual activity is prohibited prior to marriage in these countries and should trauma or death result from the rape of the child bride she is expendable and usually returned to the parents as inadequate.
World Human Rights Organizations are continuing the investigation into the murder of Rawan.
Sources: Reuters, Yemenonline.com
