'I spent years of my life trying to numb myself of the pain'

FOR many brides, their wedding day is a joyous occasion, but for 15-year old Rubie, it was a living nightmare as she was forced to marry a man twice her age.

- EMILY MALIA News Reporter

Raised in Wales, Rubie was taken to Bangladesh by her family who were determined to find her a husband. The country’s law permits under-18s to marry with their father's consent and Rubie’s dad was keen to see her wed.

Now wedded to a man significantly older than her, Rubie endured a horrific existence, suffering daily sexual abuse from her husband and becoming pregnant at just 16.

Speaking about her harrowing experiences, Rubie, who now lives in Perry Barr, Birminhgam, said that no girl should have to endure what she did.

"I spent years of my life desperately trying to numb myself from the pain of my reality," she told Fabulous magazine.

Despite this, Rubie’s life began quite ordinarily, growing up by the seaside with her large family of seven siblings.

Now aged 42, she remembers the moment everything shifted when she and her sister reached puberty. Her family was deeply religious and she felt they kept her sheltered during her childhood, imposing numerous restrictions - particularly regarding dating.

Both Rubie and her sister were forbidden from speaking to boys or donning anything their parents deemed “revealing” or “figure hugging”.