A few days ago, headlines that a 70-year-old man married a 15-year-old girl in Saudi Arabia shocked and outraged the world. Now, KPLR 11 reports that the man has divorced his teenaged wife who he reported bought from her family for $20,000.
While it is excellent news that the 70-year-old man divorced his 15-year-old wife, it is somewhat troubling that she is going back to her family that sold her for $20,000. How is she any better off there?
According to Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission, the 15-year-old fought with her 70-year-old husband, and as a result of their argument, she ran away back to her family in Al-Hurath village in Jizan province. Now, the age of the man has been called into question as well. In fact, the commission believes he is 86. Wow!
The Saudi Arabia Human Rights Commission's Dr. Hadi Al-Yami said,
"A divorce has taken place, and the dispute has now been resolved amicably."
While it is good news that the supposed 70-year-old man divorced the 15-year-old girl, it is concerning that something like this happened in the first place. Plus, the girl's parents should face some type of punishment for essentially selling their teenaged daughter to an incredibly old man.
Also, there is nothing in place to keep child brides from being forced into marriage in the future because Saudi Arabia does not have a minimum age for marriage law. Women still have limited rights in Saudi Arabia.
Comments