ROMANIA-GYPSY-CHILD MARRIAGE

TO GO WITH AFP STORY
Marian Dumitrache (R), 14, and Lenuta Ibris (L), 8, pose as they were early married by their parents in Ramnicelu village (150km northeast from Bucharest) along with another eight couples of children, 17 March 2006. Gypsy marriages involving children as young as 9 years old took place in the past few weeks in central Romania, officials said Thursday. „Local authorities are investigating the circumstances in which nine couples of children from 9 to 17 years of age were forced into marriage by their parents, in violation of Romanian law,” the National Authority for the Protection of Children said in a statement. The marriage of a 12-year-old gypsy princess, Ana-Maria Cioaba, caused an outcry in Romania in October 2003. The government separated her from her 15-year-old husband after an investigation ruled that the marriage was illegal. Human rights group Save the Children on Thursday called on Romanian authorities to handle the issue carefully. There are officially half a million gypsies in Romania, although Roma leaders say are 1.5 million people in their community. AFP PHOTO DANIEL MIHAILESCU