Married at 15 under Sharia: High-profile Trial Begins in Qaraganda

The incident took place in March. The girl's biological father went to the police after his 15-year-old daughter showed up at his home in tears and said that her mother and stepfather had married her off under Sharia law to a 38-year-old man.

The high-profile trial has now started in Qaraganda, with the defendant in the dock, Orda.kz reports.

He is charged with the sexual abuse of a minor under Article 120, Part 3-1 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code. Investigators say he locked the girl in an apartment for four days and sexually assaulted her repeatedly.

She eventually escaped and ran to her father for help. He has asked that his identity not be made public for now.

Then I'll make myself known; I have nothing to lose. I'll go all the way. I'm outraged that my ex-wife and her husband are being named as witnesses in this case. Why are they being named as witnesses? Why aren't they being prosecuted? I can't understand. The only person in the dock is the perpetrator himself. He's an old friend of my stepfather's; they've known each other for a long time. And he decided to offer my daughter to his friend! This isn't pandering anymore, this is pimping! I'll demand it, I'll appeal to every authority, I'll write to the prosecutor's office, the police, I'll write to the attorney general, I'll write to our president,
 says the father.

He says that in the early days of the investigation, he and his daughter went to the police daily. But over time, the mother and stepfather pressured the girl into siding with them, telling her their children would be taken away. The mother has two small children with her current husband and is pregnant with a third.

The girl then withdrew key statements and began filing complaints against her biological father. Child protection authorities attempted to strip the mother and stepfather of parental rights, but the court rejected the claim. 

The defendant faces 15 to 17 years in prison. The proceedings are closed to the public.

The girl's maternal grandfather has also demanded accountability from his daughter, criticizing her involvement in a religious movement and for putting the girl in a hijab. After escaping, the girl removed the headscarf. Child protection officials concluded she had been forcibly married. The biological father is testifying as a witness.

Now my daughter has stopped communicating with me. I'm sure she's been severely brainwashed. But I don't hold a grudge. I know my daughter will understand when she grows up. I will fight for her to the end,
he adds.

Original Author: Inna Rutz