14-Year-Old Child Marriage Victim Shima Ramshek Commits Suicide in Miandoab, Iran

Hengaw: Friday, September 30, 2024

Shima Ramshek, a 14-year-old girl from Bukan, tragically took her own life after enduring prolonged dissatisfaction and pressure stemming from a forced marriage.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Shima Ramshek, from the village of Shikhler in the district of Bukan, committed suicide in the home she shared with her husband in the village of Marjanabad, Miandoab. She died instantly.

An informed source revealed that Shima, a victim of child marriage, ended her life by hanging herself at home. After 48 hours, on Friday, September 30, her body was released to her family by the medical examiner.

It is important to note that Shima was forced into marriage with an adult man named Mansour Jagan at the age of thirteen due to continuous family pressure.

The issue of child marriage has long been condemned by civil society and human rights activists, as it violates the mental and physical well-being of the child. Despite widespread social opposition, this harmful practice persists, fueled by the intertwining of personal status laws with religious customs and the lack of adequate judicial oversight. This has led to a double infringement on the rights of women and children, particularly in regions where such practices are prevalent.