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Saudi Child Bride's Marriage Annulled

Wedding to middle-aged man sparked global controversy

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 30, 2009 7:27 AM CDT

(Newser) – The marriage of an eight-year-old Saudi girl to a man in his 50s that drew worldwide attention has been annulled in an out-of-court settlement, the BBC reports. A judge had twice denied the girl—reportedly married off by her father to pay a debt—a divorce. The case has led Saudi officials to say they’d start regulating young girls’ "arbitrary" marriages.

A Saudi man, right, buys a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.
A Saudi man, right, buys a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.   (AP Photo)
A Saudi girl waves as she poses for a picture in the desert, in Thumama, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 7, 2008.
A Saudi girl waves as she poses for a picture in the desert, in Thumama, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 7, 2008.   (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A Saudi couple buy a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.
A Saudi couple buy a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.   (AP Photo)
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