Roma from BiH must abandon inhumane tradition: They can face life imprisonment for bride buying

Bosnia and Herzegovina must teach Roma that they are not allowed to trade their children. Otherwise, those who do must be held accountable before the law, believes psychologist Jasminka Dizdarević.

It is a tradition among Roma worldwide, as well as among Roma in BiH, to buy brides for their sons, often paying tens of thousands of convertible marks. However, experts warn that such practices most often fall under the serious criminal offense of human trafficking, for which the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina prescribes a prison sentence of five years to life imprisonment.

Gifting the bride's parents, if the bride is of legal age and has voluntarily agreed to the marriage, is justifiable. However, experts from BiH who have dealt with this issue warn that in the case of Roma weddings in BiH, it often involves underage girls, whose parents do not even ask for their consent for marriage.

According to official data, more than 80 cases of trafficking of Roma children have been recorded in BiH in the last three years. This number could be significantly higher, as it is an insufficiently monitored and researched phenomenon in society.

The latest case of trafficking of young Roma girls was recorded in October this year, when a Roma family from Goražde bought a girl from Sarajevo for their son, paying, according to their claims, around 10,000 KM. They once again sought justification for this in tradition.

Dr. Dizdarević warns the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina that they must make greater efforts to stop such practices.

- This part of Roma tradition must be punished – Dr. Dizdarević told the BiH news agency Patria (NAP).

- It is, if you will, psychological violence, and as such, it must not be allowed. No one has the right to trade human beings. People who act in such a way must be prosecuted.

Professor Dizdarević states that society should respect Roma traditions, but if a tradition is not positive for the child, society must condemn and stop it. For her, the trafficking of underage girls is nothing other than a violation of fundamental human rights, writes NAP.