Fifteen-year-old Egyptian child bride commits suicide

An 15-year-old child bride in Egypt has committed suicide over a dispute with her husband's family, local media have reported.

The child left her husband's house and returned to her family before throwing herself off the fourth floor of a building to her death.

Her husband, who was distraught by the incident, also attempted to commit suicide in response to her demise but was saved by neighbours who caught him with a blanket. 

He was transferred to hospital with minor fractures.

Local media claimed the husband had slapped the 15-year-old after she used a sharp object to attack his mother during an argument at the family home.

The police took the husband's mother in for questioning, reports said.

Suicide rates, particularly among young people, have increased in Egypt. Figures from the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms suggest that more than 150 25-30-year-olds have committed suicide in the past year alone.

Read also: Paying a price for their future with their own lives: Tunisia's troubling child suicide rates

Earlier this year, a young Egyptian man committed suicide from the top of one of the largest pyramids in Egypt, authorities said.

The unidentified man climbed the Pyramid of Khafre - the second biggest and highest pyramid in Giza - before throwing himself off, the Egyptian ministry of tourism reported.

"The incident has been referred to the prosecution and all necessary investigations are underway," a brief statement said.

No further details were provided though local Ahram Online revealed a 12-hour stand-off between the man and police took place before he eventually jumped.

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