Parents arrested for planning a wedding for their 14-year-old daughter
"She is mature for her age — that's what's important," the girl's mother told N12. "She's not like other 14-year-old girls."
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated: DECEMBER 20, 2020 03:59Illustration of a bride praying before the wedding ceremony September 28, 2017. (photo credit: MENDY HECHTMAN/FLASH90)
The Jerusalem District Police arrested the ultra-Orthodox parents of a 14-year-old girl after they attempted to marry her off to a 23-year-old man from Jerusalem last week, N12 reported on Wednesday.A week before the planned wedding, police received an alert of the event, and intervened, Maariv, the sister publication of The Jerusalem Post, reported at the time. The girl was not yet 15."She is mature for her age — that's what's important," the girl's mother told N12. "She's not like other 14-year-old girls." She denied knowing, at the time, of the illegality of marrying her daughter off at such a young age.Following police intervention, the daughter was then investigated, and transferred to Jerusalem's welfare and social services.The parents of the girl, in addition to other players, were subject to a police investigation in connection with the incident, culminating with the parents' arrest. The wedding was cancelled."I want them to return my daughter," the mother said. "I don't want children to be taken from their parents' homes in such a gross manner." The parents' lawyer insisted that they now understand the severity of the just-missed wedding ceremony.
