Romanian Gypsy Child Groom Jilts Bride Sparking Fight Involving 200 Villagers

February 28, 2008 1:28 p.m. EST

Sinesti, Romania (AHN) - After the family of a 14-year-old groom canceled his wedding to a 12-year-old bride a fight broke out between the two families of Gypsies in Romania. That event caused about 200 people to fight each other with fists, knives swords and guns in the Romanian village of Sinesti, where 12 people were injured - but no one was killed.

Although the bridal couple was too young to marry even under Romania's relaxed age law for gypsies, the gypsies, or Roma, believe that children should marry when they reach puberty. In Romania it is legal for gypsy children to marry at age 16 with parental permission, while the normal legal age for marriage there is 18.

According to reports, the fight broke out on Wednesday because the bride's family was unhappy over the groom's decision to cancel the wedding and began fighting, the fighting soon spread to involve many villagers.

Before the country joined the European Union, a similar wedding cancellation in 2003 lead to a fight that sparked a debate about Roma weddings, but nothing changed.

About 500,000 people identify themselves as gypsies, but officials think the number is about double that, however, widespread prejudice reportedly causes people to conceal their identities.

Police are holding several people on various charges, including on man who was charged with attempted murder and destruction of property.