Child marriage still on rise in Kazakhstan: Head of Children's Fund

ASTANA. January 24. KAZINFORM Child marriage is not a thing of the past in Kazakhstan. This problem still persists in the country, according to Director of Children's Fund of Kazakhstan Elvira Vatlina.

In her words, each year, about 3 thousand children in Kazakhstan are forced into marriage.

"Neither Criminal Code, nor Administrative Offences Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan prescribe any punishment for forcing a child into an early marriage. I think it shows the hands-off attitude of the state in this particular matter," E. Vatlina told a recent seminar on women and children's rights in Astana.