The Muslim convert father of the 12-year-old girl at the center of a child sex case following her "marriage" to a 26-year-old foreigner admitted his unhappiness at their union, but said "it was not my decision". The fifth-generation Australian, who allowed the pair to be married by an imam in his home on January 12, now says he fears she may "die" from a broken heart.He also addressed public outrage on the case following the 26-year-old Lebanese manÂ’s arrest on Thursday, saying he might "cop a little bit of abuse off people but I will have to cope with that".
The pair met at a local mosque late last year after the 26-year-old came to Australia to study at a nearby university.
He approached the mosque about marrying the girl but the Newcastle Muslim Association president said he was turned away because it was illegal and "wrong". He then approached the girl's father — who converted to Islam about 18 years ago after a battle with drugs, gambling and alcohol abuse — through an intermediary, who told him of the man’s intentions.
He initially refused but agreed to let him come to his house to meet his daughter. He said it was almost over from the start when she found out he was 26, but she changed her mind.
The girl's father said his first concerns were more about religion than the man's or his daughter's ages. However, he said the only way they could be in any type of relationship, let alone in the same room unchaperoned, under "my interpretation of the Koran" was if they were married.
He said the couple moved to western Sydney after the marriage. He said they tried to enrol his daughter at a local high school but were told to go to Centrelink to ascertain her guardianship. The father said a social worker at Centrelink raised the alarm before authorities intervened.
The man was refused bail at Burwood Local Court on Friday after being charged by Child Abuse Squad detectives with multiple counts of sexual intercourse with a child.