Afghan Brides
Add to Lightbox DownloadPolice woman Malalai arrests Janan, 35, after he tried to kill his fifteen-year-old wife Jamila, which means beautiful in Arabic, Afghanistan, June 4, 2006. Jamila angered him by fleeing her home to stay with her mother after enduring years of abuse from her husband and mother-in-law. Janan came to the mother's house to kill Jamila for leaving their home, and ended up stabbing Jamila's grandmother multiple times as well, when she tried to cover Jamila with her body to protect her. Jamila was engaged when she was only a 1-year-old and was married at 10. As a premature bride, she lacked the skills to be a proper wife, which resulted in the abuse she received. Jamila's mother, Malika, said, "I kept my daughter at my house and hoped to explain to my son-in-law why he should not beat her, but he barged into the house and tried to kill her."