Advertisement

8-year-old Yemeni girl dies from internal injuries on wedding night

HARDH, Yemen, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- An 8-year-old Yemeni girl died from internal injuries on the first night of her marriage to a man more than five times her age, Kuwaiti daily Al Watan reported.

The girl, identified only by the name Rawan, died in Hardh in the governorate of Hajjah in northwestern Yemen, the newspaper reported Sunday.

Advertisement

She died after suffering a tear to her genitals and severe bleeding, Gulf News reported.

Yemeni and Kuwaiti activists have called for police to arrest the girl's husband and family and to put an end to the practice of marrying young girls, Gulf News said.

"Her family and her groom could have waited for some time before having this marriage," wrote on blogger, who goes by the name "Sad." "It was not fair at all and the marriage should not have happened even if some tribes believe that it is a good custom."

See Also: Child bride tradition survives in Pakistan, despite laws

Latest Headlines