Qaraganda Father Demands Prosecution of Mother and Stepfather for Marrying Off 15-Year-Old Daughter

The father of a 15-year-old girl from the Qaraganda region has appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, demanding criminal charges against the girl’s mother and stepfather. The pair allegedly married the teenager to a 38-year-old family friend, following "Sharia law,” Orda.kz reports.

Currently, only the so-called “husband” is on trial, charged with sexual assault. The girl’s father insists that her mother and stepfather — both of whom hold radical religious views — must also be prosecuted.

He says appeals to local prosecutors and police have gone nowhere.

Drop The Charges

According to him, the teenager escaped after days of sexual abuse and confinement. She later went to the police with her father, but officers at first refused to accept the complaint.

The mother and stepfather purportedly pressured the girl into dropping the charges.

In a video shown to reporters, the mother and stepfather accuse the girl of “promiscuity.” 

Meanwhile, the grandmother on the mother's side urged the father to stop pressing charges:

This young man isn't bad, I told you, 'Won't hit, won't hurt.' We've already discussed all this. He's not the type to do something like that. He's an educated, well-mannered young man. Think about your daughter's fate. She's cunning, she knows everything. Girls are giving birth at 11 and 12 years old these days. Darling, give me your blessing, and withdraw your complaint tomorrow. Everyone already knows—the police, the people — aren't you ashamed? Take my advice, it will be too late and you'll regret it.

My grandmother said, 'She was spoiled, let's marry her off.' That's not true. I saw the medical examination; she was a girl, and no one touched her. Both her grandmother and her mother slandered her. They destroyed the child's psyche. And now the child is confused, and now she's on their side. I don't know how to fight this anymore. I want them held accountable. They must answer for what they did. I think it's unfair. They ruined her life. I sent a letter to the Prosecutor General and also wrote to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I've already received a text message saying the complaint is being reviewed. I don't want to leave this matter like this. Even if necessary, I'll appeal to the president. I want to prove to everyone that this won't happen in Kazakhstan. I want everyone to know that we, citizens of Kazakhstan, must live only by the laws of the Republic, and not by Sharia law., the father argues.

Current Situation

The girl has since cut ties with her father and now lives with her older brother. 

Her younger sister also moved in with her father, fearing she would be “next.”

She's also afraid for herself. They hinted to her, 'You'll be next when you grow up.' And she doesn't even want to go to her birth mother. Although I don't interfere; let them meet. But my daughter made her own decision. 'I won't go there,'  added the father.

The father’s youngest son has also joined him after being kicked out of his mother’s home.

Original Author: Inna Rutz