Ghor police have arrested a Herat man after he allegedly married off his six-year-old daughter in exchange for a goat and other supplies.The child was swapped as a bride for the items.
The father admitted to police that he had swapped his daughter, who was then married off to a 60-year-old Ghor man.
Acting head of the Ghor police investigation department, Mohammad Azim, said their investigations reveal that the girl was indeed 'sold' by her father to the 60-year-old man.
"We have prepared the dossier and it is ready to be sent to the attorney general's office," he said.
Earlier this week, the 60-year-old Ghor man who married the 6-year-old was arrested by police.
The girl's father, who is from Herat, then reportedly travelled to Ghor to secure the release of the Ghor man. However, on arrival at the police station he came under attack by local women.
In an admission, on camera, at the police station, the father said: "I gave my daughter to him. (In return) he gave me a goat, a baby goat (kid), a bag of flour and a bottle of ghee."
The 60-year-old also admitted on camera to having married the child. He said: "I married her. I gave her father a goat, a baby goat (kid), a bag of flour, a bottle of ghee, tea and sugar."
Meanwhile, Ghor civil society activists said they are fed up with the number of cases against women and children and said that if the perpetrators are not found and punished, they will stand up against the relevant government organizations in the province.
"Women are burnt, they commit suicide, they are stoned to death and shot dead. We will not tolerate these acts anymore. We will stand up against the negligence of local government if perpetrators are not punished," said Latifa Madadi, a woman activist in Ghor.
The prosecutor who deals with cases involving violence against women, Negina Ghori, said the case will be investigated thoroughly.
"..., father of the girl and ..., the man that married her, are under investigation and will be sent to jail in the near future," she added.
The six-year-old girl was married off to the man earlier this month. It is believed that civil society activists alerted the authorities to the case.