A man, 70, divorced a 15-year-old girl in Saudi Arabia. The newlyweds live in the Middle East, and the bride's parents sold her to the groom for the U.S. equivalent of $20,000, but that's not where this strange story ends. The elderly groom claimed he was "ripped off" after he paid the huge dowry, and his young bride returned to her parents following a fight.
The man complained after his teen bride took flight. That prompted an investigation by Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission. A representative visited her home in Al-Hurath village in Jizan province, in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen, after the man's complaint. An investigator was also sent to the courthouse where the complaint was made.
On Wed., Jan. 9, 2013, Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission told CNN that the man, 70, divorced the 15-year-old in Saudi Arabia, and the divorce has been granted. Even more shocking, Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission believe the man may be 86, not 70. He claims he thought the girl was actually 25.
There is no minimum age requirement for marriage in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, a judge refused to annul a marriage between a man in his upper 40s and an eight-year-old girl.
Now that the unnamed man, 70, divorced the 15-year-old bride, people are wondering whether her family will return the $20,000 dowry they allegedly received for her hand in marriage.
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