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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap, Eye on World
Aired September 30, 2003 - 06:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn to our international editor, David Clinch, now, because he has a rather odd story out of Romania this morning.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol. Good morning.
I always try and find something, you know, interesting, a talking-point type of story to talk about in this hour. And something -- we actually heard about this a couple of days ago, but we've had our first pictures in today.
This is a story of a gypsy princess.
COSTELLO: A gypsy princess.
CLINCH: A gypsy princess, a member of the Roma, the Romani people in Romania, married over the weekend. She is 12 years of age. She was married to a 15-year-old, also a gypsy. And during the wedding ceremony, a huge wedding ceremony in Romania, where the legal age for marriage isn't until 16, but apparently the government looks the other way for the gypsies. They allow these things to happen.
COSTELLO: Well, she's a princess.
CLINCH: Well, the 12-year-old, surprisingly for a 12-year-old girl, has a mind of her own. And right in the middle of this wedding ceremony, she apparently turned tail, ran out of the ceremony, refused to have anything to do with it. Her father, a king -- there she goes, see?
COSTELLO: Oh!
CLINCH: The king not very happy with his daughter, sends out family members to get her, drags her back in. She was married against her will to the 15-year-old, and they are now legally, at least in gypsy law -- I don't know about Romanian law -- married.
So, you think you might have trouble with your 12-year-old daughter. This king had a big problem. But obviously, on the serious side, it reflects a problem, a question at least, in terms of how small ethnic groups like this using traditions of their own, actually do things and get away with things, which are technically and legally at odds with what the rest of the country can do.
COSTELLO: Oh, my heart just breaks for that girl. CLINCH: I know. But let's just acknowledge, she does have a mind of her own, and I think her 15-year-old husband may perhaps regret marrying her at some future point. But...
COSTELLO: Yes, she looks like she could take it.
CLINCH: ... she was forced back in and eventually married him. And they are now man and wife. So, we'll keep an eye on that story.
COSTELLO: Yes, definitely so.
CLINCH: All right.
COSTELLO: I didn't even know there were gypsy princess nowadays, but now I do.
CLINCH: Absolutely. Absolutely.
COSTELLO: David...
CLINCH: She'll be queen one day.
COSTELLO: Oh, queen of the gypsies.
CLINCH: Yes.
COSTELLO: It reminds me of that Cher song. All joking aside, though, I do feel sorry for the girl.
CLINCH: Yes.
COSTELLO: David Clinch, many thanks.
CLINCH: All right, Carol.
COSTELLO: We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 30, 2003 - 06:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn to our international editor, David Clinch, now, because he has a rather odd story out of Romania this morning.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol. Good morning.
I always try and find something, you know, interesting, a talking-point type of story to talk about in this hour. And something -- we actually heard about this a couple of days ago, but we've had our first pictures in today.
This is a story of a gypsy princess.
COSTELLO: A gypsy princess.
CLINCH: A gypsy princess, a member of the Roma, the Romani people in Romania, married over the weekend. She is 12 years of age. She was married to a 15-year-old, also a gypsy. And during the wedding ceremony, a huge wedding ceremony in Romania, where the legal age for marriage isn't until 16, but apparently the government looks the other way for the gypsies. They allow these things to happen.
COSTELLO: Well, she's a princess.
CLINCH: Well, the 12-year-old, surprisingly for a 12-year-old girl, has a mind of her own. And right in the middle of this wedding ceremony, she apparently turned tail, ran out of the ceremony, refused to have anything to do with it. Her father, a king -- there she goes, see?
COSTELLO: Oh!
CLINCH: The king not very happy with his daughter, sends out family members to get her, drags her back in. She was married against her will to the 15-year-old, and they are now legally, at least in gypsy law -- I don't know about Romanian law -- married.
So, you think you might have trouble with your 12-year-old daughter. This king had a big problem. But obviously, on the serious side, it reflects a problem, a question at least, in terms of how small ethnic groups like this using traditions of their own, actually do things and get away with things, which are technically and legally at odds with what the rest of the country can do.
COSTELLO: Oh, my heart just breaks for that girl. CLINCH: I know. But let's just acknowledge, she does have a mind of her own, and I think her 15-year-old husband may perhaps regret marrying her at some future point. But...
COSTELLO: Yes, she looks like she could take it.
CLINCH: ... she was forced back in and eventually married him. And they are now man and wife. So, we'll keep an eye on that story.
COSTELLO: Yes, definitely so.
CLINCH: All right.
COSTELLO: I didn't even know there were gypsy princess nowadays, but now I do.
CLINCH: Absolutely. Absolutely.
COSTELLO: David...
CLINCH: She'll be queen one day.
COSTELLO: Oh, queen of the gypsies.
CLINCH: Yes.
COSTELLO: It reminds me of that Cher song. All joking aside, though, I do feel sorry for the girl.
CLINCH: Yes.
COSTELLO: David Clinch, many thanks.
CLINCH: All right, Carol.
COSTELLO: We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
