Belozere, Russia
Dozens of schoolgirls in the Russian republic of Mordovia have been kidnapped and raped to force them into marriage, Radio Liberty reported this week. Local reporter Marat Salimov said that such “bride theft,” common in the Muslim province for decades, has increased recently as a way for men to inherit property owned by a girl’s family. After a 13-year-old was kidnapped from her desk at school this spring, fearful parents began keeping their daughters at home—and now the Belozere high school has no female students. Outraged, the mufti of Mordovia ordered local imams to perform no marriages without the bride’s consent.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Donald Trump’s week in Asia: can he shift power away from China?Today's Big Question US president’s whirlwind week of diplomacy aims to bolster economic ties and de-escalate trade war with China
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
