Bride kidnappers face a bleak future
Published 02 April, 2008, 05:59
Kidnapping girls for marriage is a tradition that goes back centuries in Russia’s North Caucasus. The shocking reality is not just that it still goes on, but that there's no law against it. However, that could be about to change.
The issue of stealing brides was dealt with in a famous Soviet-era film called ‘Kidnapping, Caucasian Style’ (1966). The leading male character sums up his problem with these words: “I have two ways to go – either I take her to the registry office, or she takes me to a prosecutor.”
If politicians in Ingushetia have their way, the second of these options will be the most likely outcome in the future. They’ve prepared a draft law that, if passed by the State Duma, will see bride kidnappers jailed for two years.
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