A kidnapping and forced marriage is being investigated after a distressing video of a screaming girl emerged.
The girl, believed to be 16 years old, was seen being held by other women during a party in Kyrgyzstan.
Reports say the teen was being made to marry a 35-year-old man she did not evenknow.
She appears to be desperately trying to fight off those holding her by the arms.
According to reports the girl was kidnapped by the women and passed to the man for marriage under a tradition called ‘ala kachuu’ - meaning ‘to take and flee’.
The practice is illegal but is believed to still be widespread.
The legal age for marriage in Kyrgyzstan is 17.
The video has gone viral in the central Asia republic with demands for police action.
The footage is thought to have been filmed in Talas, a town 125miles west of capital Bishkek.
A spokesman for police in Talas said “checks are underway” into the video.
Police in other regions are also investigating.
No complaints have been received from relatives of the girl, said a police spokesman.
Bride kidnapping was outlawed in Kyrgyzstan in 2013 amid criticisms it leads to marital rape, domestic violence and psychological trauma.
