Israel Police on Tuesday night broke up a wedding in the central Israel city of Lod because the bride was 14 years old.
The groom, reported to be in his 20s, and the girl’s father were arrested on Monday night prior to the ceremony, Israel’s Channel 2 first reported. The men later were released to house arrest with restrictive conditions.
The father of the bride is a Breslov hasid and serves as the community's rabbi. He was also scheduled to perform the marriage ceremony, Channel 2 reported. Municipal welfare officials informed the police about the wedding, but told Channel 2 that preventing a secret ceremony would be difficult.
In 2013, Israel raised the minimum age for marriage from 17 to 18. Previously, brides under seventeen were allowed to wed if both parents gave permission for them to do so.