Police bust wedding hall, rescue child bride in Turkey’s southeast

DİYARBAKIR

Police in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır have rescued a 14-year-old girl after learning she was going to be married to a 21-year-old man.

The police busted a wedding hall on Sept. 5 evening and detained the groom and the parents of the girl, Demirören News Agency has reported.

The police’s raid came after they received a tipoff that a 14-year-old was going to be married in the Yenişehir district. With a permission received from the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the police raided the wedding hall, taking the girl to the police department’s child care unit.

Authorities took the testimony of the girl accompanied with a lawyer and a child psychologist. Following the legal processes, the child was said to go under the protection of the Family Ministry.

The issue of child marriage is pressing in Turkey, with rights groups warning against the drastic numbers of child brides.

The legal age of marriage in Turkey is 18, or 17 with parental consent. In exceptional circumstances people can marry at 16, subject to court approval.