Video of Melbourne imam Ibrahim Omerdic allegedly presiding over illegal child wedding played in court
DISTURBING footage of a child bride allegedly being forced into marrying a man 20 years her senior has been played in a Melbourne court.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
DISTURBING footage of a child bride allegedly being forced into marrying a man 20 years her senior has been played in a Melbourne court.
During the video, the girl, allegedly just 14 at the time, is told: “As a wife, you have a duty to obey your husband.”
At the start of the video, someone is heard remarking: “she’s very young”.
The girl, her mother, her husband and Muslim cleric Ibrahim Omerdic can all be seen during the film, shot on a mobile phone.
The footage is central to the prosecution of Mr Omerdic who has been charged with conducting the ceremony.
Mr Omerdic is fighting a charge of presiding over the illegal ceremony of the girl to the man aged 34.
Police seized a Certificate of Islamic Marriage in relation to the wedding during a raid following the September 29 ceremony.
Last month, the “husband” pleaded guilty to marrying the girl, only after prosecutors dropped child sex abuse charges against him.
It had been alleged that in the days after the wedding ceremony the girl was raped on several occasions.
It is alleged Mr Omerdic conducted the ceremony at a Noble Park mosque.
Following his arrest in November, Mr Omerdic was stood down from his position at the mosque.
Footage of the alleged ceremony will be played during a contested hearing next week.
Federal police have investigated dozens of child bride allegations in Victoria amid more than 100 cases nationwide since the practice was criminalised in 2013.
But experts say many more cases go unreported because young girls fear retribution for speaking out.
Recent data revealed almost a third of all police referrals regarding forced marriages were coming from Victoria.
Federal police investigated 69 incidents of forced or underage marriage in the 2015-16 financial year, with 19 investigations launched in Victoria.
The figure more than doubled from the previous financial year.