Jazan court ends minor’s marriage

RIYADH: A court in Abu Aresh in the Jazan region has annulled the marriage of a minor girl and referred the marriage registrar to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIPP).
The court reportedly summoned the marriage registrar, who conducted the marriage contract, and held him responsible for registering the marriage of a girl not exceeding the age of 15 to a man aged 84 years.
The would-be husband filed a lawsuit with the court against the girl for refusing to respond to his desires and demanded the return of the dowry which amounted to SR90,000.
Meanwhile, experts attributed an increase in cases of child marriage to financial reasons and in particular to a father’s need for money and greed, which leads them to sell their daughters.
They said that the marriage of minors is more prevalent in rural areas and villages due to the lack of education and awareness in addition to a number of tribal customs.
Child marriage has been a controversial issue inside and outside the Kingdom. About five years ago, the Ministry of Justice fixed the minimum age for the marriage of a woman at 15 years.