Criminal case opened against 28-year-old man who married 15-year-old girl

Earlier, it was reported that a 15-year-old girl was married off in the Surkhandarya region. A criminal case has now been opened against the person who conducted the marriage ceremony between the girl and a young man in exchange for material benefits, as well as against the 28-year-old man who married her. This was reported by the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman.

It was established that on July 8 of this year, a woman identified as M.R., born in 1958 and residing in the Denov district, organized a marriage ceremony for her underage grandson A.R., born in 2009, with M.R., born in 1997, who also lives in the same district. Although the marriage with M.R. was not officially registered in accordance with the law due to A.R.’s minor status, a citizen identified as I.M., born in 1950, conducted a religious (sharia) marriage ceremony for them in exchange for material compensation.

It was reported that on September 22 of this year, a criminal case was initiated against citizen I.M. under Article 125-1 of the Criminal Code (violation of legislation on the age of marriage or the procedure for concluding a marriage), and against citizen M.R. under Article 128 of the Criminal Code (sexual intercourse with a person under the age of sixteen). The preliminary investigation into the case is currently being conducted by the investigative department under the Denov district internal affairs department.

“The Children’s Ombudsman strongly condemns all cases of early marriage involving minors and reminds that such situations constitute a serious violation of children’s rights and entail administrative and criminal liability as prescribed by law,” the statement reads.

For reference, Article 15 of the Family Code sets the legal age of marriage for both men and women at 18. Marriages involving persons below this age are considered invalid. Parents or intermediaries who allow such marriages may face heavy fines, and if such cases are repeated or lead to serious consequences, criminal charges may follow.

It should be noted that in July of this year, a joint investigation conducted by the *mahalla* committee and social workers into the attempted marriage of the girl concluded that marrying off a minor is illegal. The family was issued an official warning.

Nevertheless, the marriage ceremony took place on August 10, 2025. In connection with this, the local preventive inspector imposed administrative penalties in accordance with the law and fined those responsible. Currently, A.R. is studying at a vocational school in the Denov district, and her rights and education are under continuous supervision by the authorities.