Ilham Mahdi al Assi

Ilham Mahdi al Assi was a 13-year-old Yemeni girl who died as a result of bleeding following her first sexual intercourse with her husband,^[1] 23-year-old Abed al-Hikmi, who was later detained by police.^[2] The practice of marrying young girls was condemned by an NGO as "child rape condoned under the guise of marriage."^[3]

Yemen has a tribal culture, and the marriage of young girls is common; most Yemeni girls are married before they reach puberty.^[4] A proposed law setting a minimum age of 17 for women and 18 for men to marry was opposed by conservative Yemenis, including women.^[1]