Refugee claims he was forced to marry child bride or face being killed by future father-in-law
An Iranian refugee who allegedly married a 15-year-old Melbourne girl in a traditional Islamic ceremony claims he was forced to marry the teen — or face being killed by his future father-in-law.
Police & Courts
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An Iranian refugee has told a court he was forced to marry a 15-year-old Melbourne girl in a traditional Islamic ceremony under the threat of being killed by his future father-in-law.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was 22 when the alleged ceremony took place and said he went along with the marriage because he feared for his life.
After the traditional ceremony, he was allegedly forced to move into the girl’s family home and sleep alongside her on the floor of a bedroom watched by her parents.
The girl’s father is on trial in the County Court charged with causing a person to enter into a forced marriage.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and will argue the ceremony that took place was not a marriage, and even if it were it was not forced.
Opening the Crown case, prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg said the father organised the wedding after telling his future son-in-law he would kill him if he didn’t marry the girl.
He also allegedly threatened the man’s family and forced the man to sign a $450,000 dowry.
The daughter was just 14 when she met the Iranian man online.
They communicated for about a month before going on their first date. Shortly after, they met each other’s families.
During his first meeting with the father, the Iranian man said he was chased out of the house with a knife while the father yelled that he wanted to behead him.
Later, he said the father told him “you have to marry my daughter”.
The man initially refused but decided to go ahead with the marriage after the father threatened his family, the court heard.
“He told me, if you don’t marry my daughter, I’ll kill all of your family … I will kill you, I will find you,” the man said through an interpreter.
The jury was told the father then set about planning the wedding and hired a photographer, musician and wedding planner.
Invitations were sent out via Facebook.
The court heard after the Islamic ceremony in January 2015, the newlywed couple slept in a room together but did not have intimate contact.
Five months later, the Iranian man ran away from the father’s house and fled to Queensland, where he remained in hiding and ordered his family to relocate for their safety.
He made a police complaint shortly later.
The court heard the father later assisted his daughter to separate from the man.
The trial, before Judge Phillip Coish, continues.
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