An eight-year-old Yemeni girl has died of internal bleeding sustained during her wedding night after being forced to marry a man nearly five times her elder, the Daily Mail reported Monday.
Activists said the child, identified only as Rawan, died in the tribal area of Hardh in northwestern Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia.
Activists are calling for the groom, who is believed to be around 40 years old, and her family to be arrested, the Daily Mail said.
The practice of marrying young girls is widespread in Yemen, as poor families find it hard to resist “bride prices” for their daughters. International rights groups have sought to pressure the government to outlaw child marriages.
More than a quarter of Yemen’s females marry before age 15, according to a report in 2010 by the Social Affairs Ministry, the Daily Mail reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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