Stolen Brides, Stolen Lives | RT Documentary

The film 'Stolen Brides, Stolen Lives' revisits RT Documentary's investigation of 2013 when the crew travelled to Kyrgyzstan to find out more about the tradition of stealing brides, known as 'Ala kachuu', or "grab and run". Originally, 'Ala kachuu' was an ancient Turkic tradition. When two young people fell in love, but the groom had no money to pay the bride's price, he would steal the girl with her consent and negotiate with her parents. However, with time, the consent part was ignored while the stealing stayed on.

According to various sources, at least half of the brides in Kyrgyzstan are married against their will. For Kyrgyz men, this is just cheaper. An official proposal followed by a full wedding will cost twice as much as a wedding resulting from a kidnapping. The girls are very poorly protected from these acts of violence. Only recently, the penalty for kidnapping has been raised to a 10-year sentence. Before abducting had even less repercussion than stealing a cow. Besides, the social stigma of "damaged goods" that would follow a stolen bride if she manages to break free might ruin her life. Very often, parents reject their daughters and make them stay with their abusers to save face.

This obscure custom damages the girls' future and their reputation essential in the traditional society. Very often, the kidnappers go as far as murdering their victims out of jealousy and rage. Watch our film to learn about these blood-curdling stories.

00:00 - intro
00:04 - Aizada Kanatbekova's kidnapping
1:14 - 'Ala kachuu' is a local Kyrgyz custom of kidnapping brides
2:07 - Aizada's death sparked a wave of protests
4:02 - there are a lot of girl abduction videos on the Internet
5:30 - very often, parents don't take back their "stolen" daughter
7:13 - Kamilla married her kidnapper
9:15 - Aizada managed to call her parents for the last time
10:50 - After her murder, the kidnapper carved the letters B+N on Burulai's body
12:11 - decrease in bride kidnapping is not just legal; it's a goal of society
13:44 - conservative cultures stop women from reporting their kidnapping
14:49 - 7,000 Kyrgyz women joined the women's rights campaign
16:53 - a scarce presence of female police officers adds more to the problem
19:26 - very often, religious leaders support the kidnappers
20:37 - simply stealing a wife is cheaper
21:57 - the youth, both girls and boys, have to know that people are equal
23:27 - bride kidnapping has to be reviewed
24:25 - yet the kidnappings still happen

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Видео Stolen Brides, Stolen Lives | RT Documentary канала RT Documentary