In the State Duma called to punish parents for the wedding of an eight-year-old child

State Duma (Duma) deputy Nina Ostanina called to raise the issue of child-rearing in Roma communities in connection with the wedding of children aged eight and 13 in Astrakhan. She said in a conversation with Lenta.Ru on January 23.

"It seems to me that it is enough to feel timid before national traditions, which, to our great regret, for some reason become higher than our laws," Ostanina said.

According to her, the tradition of creating families of young children deprives them of childhood. They are deprived of the opportunity to get an education. Ostanina noted that in such a case, the children, becoming adults, are simultaneously citizens of the Russian Federation and must live according to the laws.

The deputy believes that parents should be punished for deprivation of childhood and the possibility of education.

"We condemn Iraq, which passed a law on the possibility of giving girls in marriage at the age of nine, and under our noses we do not see that the same thing is happening in our country," Ostanina said.

According to the deputy, it will not be possible to legally influence the situation, as parents who organize weddings of minors do not apply to the official civil registry office. Ostanina said that the Federal Agency for Nationalities (FADN) should take appropriate measures against the leaders of Roma communities.

The deputy assured that on Monday, January 27, a discussion is planned to discuss the protection of children who find themselves in such a situation and are at risk of falling into it.

Earlier the same day in the Astrakhan region, police officers checked information about a "wedding of children", a video of which was published on social networks. It is specified that the video appeared in social networks at least December 24, 2024. It is claimed that it shows a "gypsy wedding" of a 13-year-old girl and a boy who is supposedly nine years old.

Before that, on January 22, the Associated Press reported that the Iraqi parliament passed a law allowing marriages of girls from nine years old. It is noted that Islamic courts were allowed to decide on marriages based on their interpretation of Islam, which could lead to marriages to teenage girls or even children as young as nine years old.