Romanian woman says 10-yr-old daughter giving birth is a normal ritual

LONDON - The Romanian gypsy woman, whose 10-year-old daughter gave birth to a baby in Spain recently, is puzzled the case is getting so much attention, as she says it is a normal ritual for them.

The woman, who identified herself as only Olimpia and appears to be in her 30s, said that she is delighted to have a granddaughter, and that her daughter plans to stay on in Spain with the baby.

She also revealed that her daughter giving birth at such a young age is not surprising because as Romanian Gypsies, or Roma, their custom allows girls to marry young even though that is against the law in Romania.

“That’s the way we get married,” the Scotsman quoted her as telling reporters outside the modest apartment building in the southern town of Lebrija in Andalucia where the family lives.

Romanian law allows girls to get married at age 16 with parental consent, or at 18 without it.

But arranged “marriages” between teenagers are relatively common among Roma, who make up about 1.5 million of Romania’s 22 million people.

Families “marry off” daughters when they reach puberty, with the “husband” usually being a couple of years older. The marriages are not recognised by the state.

The latest statistics show that 177 girls under the age of 15 gave birth in Spain in 2008. (ANI)