Bozena Gural & Bezo, wedding in May 2008.

Renata Gural, whose daughter Bozena, aged 13, married a 14 year old boy, was interviewed by the newspaper. Renata Gural refused to pay rent. Renata Gural refused to send her 5 kids to school. Renata Gural said she was not concerned with others’ opinions. Renata Gural said that she should be the one who decided whether Bozena was old enough to marry.

Bozena Gural was married in a secret Polish gypsy ceremony in east London. Bozena Gural speaks English, unlike her Mom, Renata Gural, who does not speak English.

Renata Gural lived in a 2 bedroom, terrace house in East Ham. Renata Gural has lived in UK for 2 years. Renata Gural’s hosue has 14 other relations. Renata Gural’s personal family has herself, her husband, and 5 chidren. They were using benefits to live on.

Renata Gural, 31, is currently pregnant but smokes and drinks.

Renata Gural refused to pay rent because she wants the government’s housing benefits. Renata Gural won’t be getting any because she has not filled out the forms. Renata Gural didn’t fill the forms because she could not understand the English worded forms. It was a vicious circle.

Neighbors were interviewed but they refused to have their names quoted for fear of reprisals. They said the Gurals were terrible neighbors. They played loud music at all hours. The Gural children threw rubbish into their gardens. The Gural kids spitted on windows of neighbors.

Bozena Gural is only 4 feet tall and wears size 3 shoes. Bozena Gural said that she was happy being married. Bozena Gural felt grown up.

Bozena Gural related the story of how she met Bezo, her family friend’s child, when she was 7 years old. Bozena Gural’s father and Bezo’s father arranged for their marriages 3 years later. Bezo proposed to her formally.

Bozena Gural said that her family gave her £600 for her wedding dress. (USD 1200).

 

On April 28, she Bozena Gural was married in a Polish Romany wedding ceremony. A community elder tied the hands of Boozena Gural & Bezo in the ceremony. It was a top secret ceremony but 150 relatives attended.

Renata Gural insisted that she did not allow herdaughter Bozena Gural to have sex with her new husband. Reanat Gural said that Bozena Gural would have to wait until the age of 18 to share sexual intimacy with her husband.

Otton Hulacki, 86, chairman of the Isle of Wight’s Polish Society, said that it was common for overseas gypsies to continue observing their customs and traditions. Child marriages were common and the way of life.

Bezo has told Bozena Gural that he wants her to move in with him and his family in Manor Park. That was 2 miles away from where Bozena Gural was staying presently. But Bozana Gural has said that she refused because she would miss her mother too much.

Social services visited the Gural family in April. The neighbors said that Renata Gural locked the door and hid in the kitchen with her children.

This story was first reported in UK’s Daily Mail but the names were changed. The 13 year old bride was named as Sarah and the 14 year old groom was called Ricardo. The wedding party was at the Central pub in East Ham.

Ricardo/ Bezo was said to be nervous. So was the bride; Bozena Gural / Sarah. The simple wedding ceremony involved the community elder giving Bozena Gural / Sarah and Bezo / Ricardo a hug. He tied Bozena Gural / Sarah and Bezo/ Ricardo’s hands together in a scarf. He kissed Bozena Gural / Sarah and Bezo/ Ricardo on the lips. Then he pronouncing Bozena Gural / Sarah and Bezo/Ricardo as husband and wife. Bozena Gural / Sarah was tossed into the air. Bezo/ Ricardo was also thrown into the air. The friends and relations began danicng and drinking.

Some guests said they were surprised at Bozena Gural / Sarah and Bezo/ Ricardo’s youth. A guest claimed that many gypsies (them) did not do marriages that way anymore. Another guest said that the families of Bozena Gural / Sarah and Bezo/ Ricardo arranged the marriage to unite the two families in a diplomatic move.

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Nicholson, is an opposer of child marriages. She

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This entry was posted on Sunday, May 11th, 2008 at 1:22 am and is filed under News.