Girl , 16, abducted for forced marriage

A 16-year-old girl has been rescued after she was abducted by a man she met on the internet and taken to France for a forced marriage. 

The child’s mother reported that her daughter had disappeared from her home in the company of an adult Romanian national with whom she had a relationship through social networks. 

The young man travelled from France, the country in which he lived with his family, with the intention of removing the minor and taking her away to marry her according to his family and cultural customs. 

The child later told her mother that she was in France against her will, and that she was afraid of reprisals from the man’s family against her or her relatives if she refused to marry or fled. 

Spanish police found that both young people had agreed to meet in person. But far from a simple meeting the man took the chance to abduct the girl. 

After spending a first night in a hotel in Benidorm, they continued their journey to France. Once the border was crossed, the young man’s family telephoned the mother of the child repeatedly to talk about the wedding. She refused to give permission. 

Finally, the mother travelled to France to see her daughter. After having a conversation with the man’s family, in which they insisted on the marriage, mother and daughter managed to see each other in private. 

This was the first chance the girl had to tell her mother that she was in France against her will and that her desire was to return to Spain and be with her family. 

When the mother returned to Spain, she told police everything that had happened and showed then WhatsApp conversations that she had had with her daughter. 

In them she expressed her intention to escape as soon as possible. In addition, the minor gave her mother the coordinates of where she was being held by using the geolocating feature of her mobile phone. 

A European Investigation Order (E.O.I.O.) was issued to the French authorities for the location and protection of the minor, as well as the identification of the persons holding her. 

After several steps in which the officers worked in coordination with the French Police, the minor was finally located in France safe and well and has returned to her family in Spain. 

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Dilip Kuner

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments