According to the Tan Uyen District Police Department, they were informed on March 18 by the headmaster of Ho Mit Secondary School, Nguyen Thi Hang, that one of her students was being forced to marry her uncle.
The police and some local officials immediately met the family whose name was not revealed and talked to her parents.
After the meeting, the girl's parents understood that child marriage was illegal and knew about the risks of consanguineous marriage. They agreed to stop the early marriage and let her continue studying.
The girl has returned to school.
Child marriage and marriage between relatives have existed for a long time in ethnic groups in many northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam, including Lai Chau.
Nearly 85 per cent of the population in Lai Chau is from ethnic minority groups and child marriage used to be common among the community.
Lau Chau authorities have made efforts to raise public awareness of the consequences of child and incestuous marriages, but changing traditional ideas is a long-term struggle.
Incestuous marriage is rare, but the rate of child marriages remains high and has increased.
