Child marriage in Kerala’s Malappuram again; 16-year-old, who got married a year ago, is six months pregnant

In a shocking report, childline workers have taken a 16-year-old girl from Kerala’s Malappuram to a care centre after finding that she is 6-months pregnant after her marriage 1 year ago.

As per reports, the girl was married off a year ago. But neither the authorities nor others knew about it. The child marriage came to light a few days ago when the Child Welfare Committee was informed. The Child Welfare Committee then informed Childline and transferred the girl to a safe center.

The district chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee said that the incident had been reported to the police. Police have also launched an investigation into the incident. According to the police, a case will be registered against the Vandoor resident who married the girl under the Child Marriage Prohibition Act and the Pokso Act.

Child marriages are rampant in the northern Kerala districts and Muslim-dominated Malappuram tops the list. A study conducted by the Family Welfare Department of the Union Government showed that 36 per cent of the girls below 18 years of age in Malappuram got married as against the State average of 9.1 per cent