In South Sulawesi, a province of Indonesia, a 41-year-old widower identified as Rustam Ashary married a 13-year-old girl who he ‘wooed’ through social media, says reports emerging from the country.
The girl who is from Sidrap regency was in touch with Rustam for at least 3 months before she allegedly ‘decided’ to tie the knot.
The girl’s mom told news site Detik that no one pressurized her child to marry the 41-year-old and also suggested that both the child and the man are happy.
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In Muslim-majority Indonesia, the legal age of marriage stands at 19 years for ‘men’ and 16 years for ‘women’.
Indonesia’s 1974 marriage law, however, allows such underage marriages legal if they are done “in accordance” with Islamic belief, known as nikah siri.
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