A young girl in the West Cape area of South Africa, a Muslim, was impregnated by a middle aged Muslim man when she was 13 years old...and her parents are so darn happy that he at least married her at 14. She gave birth to the child 3 months after her "wedding." And now authorities are "looking into" the fact that it is illegal to have consentual sex with a child between the ages of 12 and 16.
I'm not sure what is more disgusting in this story - the fact that this man in essence raped a 13 year old girl or the fact that her parents dismiss the whole thing so flippantly.
Look at what the parents have to say from the article at IOL:
The girl, who may not be identified because of her age, married the man in November 2009. Now 15, she has recently gone back to school, which brought the situation to the authorities’ attention.
The girl’s parents said she had made a mistake when she was very young, and was now putting it right. They were delighted she had chosen to go back to school.
“We want our daughter to have a good life and by going to school she can achieve that.”
The parents of the 15-year-old girl were both surprised and angry when Weekend Argus approached them this week. “It’s not something one plans for, it’s not that you want your child to get married so young, but the religion is clear: when a child messes up, marriage is the only way to make things right.”
So that is it? Because of the "religion" you just hope for the best? What about throwing this middle aged man's ass in jail for a few years? Oh wait, I forgot...he's a male in Islam and she's a girl in Islam...no harm, no foul. She was probably begging for the sex, yanno.
You know, I blog about honor killings all of the time here and often question how in the world a father could literally kill his daughter for any action...well, here we see the father of a 13 year old girl who sits idly by while some old bastard rapes his little girl and gets her pregnant. Explain to me how the father of this girl can accept that? Explain to me how ANY father could accept that.
Pregnant at 13, wed at 14
The Western Cape government is investigating the marriage of a city girl who was made pregnant at 13 by a middle-aged man, and married to him by Muslim rites three months after her 14th birthday.
Their daughter was born three months later.
The girl, who may not be identified because of her age, married the man in November 2009. Now 15, she has recently gone back to school, which brought the situation to the authorities’ attention.
The girl’s parents said she had made a mistake when she was very young, and was now putting it right. They were delighted she had chosen to go back to school.
“We want our daughter to have a good life and by going to school she can achieve that.”
But the Women’s Legal Centre is concerned that the draft Bill recognising Muslim marriages does not expressly state a minimum age for marriage.
Director Jennifer Williams says it is a criminal offence to have consensual sex with a child between 12 and 16.
And according to the Children’s Act, no child under 18 may be married without special permission, including in some cases from the Minister of Home Affairs. The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act also requires that the prospective spouses be 18, but the Muslim Marriages Bill does not.
“The Children’s Act specifically seeks to prevent marriages of minors, and the best interests of the child are paramount in terms of the constitution. Where there are circumstances that it is in the child’s interest to be in the marriage, this should be dealt with across the board and not according to the type of marriage. At the moment the provisions differ in relation to civil marriages and customary marriages and, of course, there are no provisions relating to religious marriages.”
The parents of the 15-year-old girl were both surprised and angry when Weekend Argus approached them this week. “It’s not something one plans for, it’s not that you want your child to get married so young, but the religion is clear: when a child messes up, marriage is the only way to make things right.”
The girl’s mother said her daughter was very mature for her age. “Many people do not believe that she is only 15. Looking at her you will never say. My daughter and her husband live with us and we make sure that we help and guide where we can. Ultimately, she is happy and it’s what she wanted. Our child had to grow up quickly but she knew what she wanted, and that’s important.”
She said her son-in-law provided well for both his wife and their one-year-old girl.
When asked about her marriage, the girl merely smiled and said: “I love being married, it is very nice.”
Paddy Attwell, of the Western Cape Education Department, confirmed that a girl married according to Muslim rites was a pupil at a Delft school.
“The department’s main concern is the best interests of the learner. We will not discriminate against her because she is married.”
The matter had been referred to the provincial Department of Social Development.
Western Cape Social Development MEC Patricia de Lille said she instructed inspectors to visit the school and investigate the case. “Our social workers met the family yesterday and we are awaiting a full report.”
The Muslim Judicial Council’s Head of Social Development, Moulana Abdul Sattaag Carr, said it was not inevitable that if a young couple had a baby they should marry.
“There are various aspects that we have to look at. In some cases marriage might be a good option but in others, where the couple does not share a loving relationship or it is not economically viable, they should not get married.”
He said, according to Islam any girl beyond puberty could marry.
Williams, of the Women’s Legal Centre, said in terms of the Marriage Act anyone under 18 wanting to marry needed the consent of both parents. In addition, boys under 18 and girls under 16 required the permission of the Minister of Home Affairs to marry. The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act also requires that prospective spouses be 18. - Weekend Argus
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