A child betrothral held in Dakahlia has triggered backlash among rights groups as the governorate sees its third similar incident this year.
Youssef Naser, 12yrs was engaged to be married to Reda Mohamed, 11yrs, and his cousin on Thursday in a huge party that included six belly dancers and a number of singers, according to Youm7.
Youssef’s father said that “movies and facebook have turned children into adults,” adding that both kids are in love with eachothers, “so why don’t we preserve their love since early age, make them grow together and be happy forever.”
In July, a report was filed about an incident of a betrothal of a 12 year old boy and a 10 year old girl in Maasarah Village in Dakahlia governorate, Mohamed Nazmy, director of general department of child helpline at the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, told Youm7.
According to figures by the Ministry of Population, 15 percent of marriages in Egypt are child marriages; UNICEF defines marriage under the age of 18 as child marriage.
