An Egyptian child bride >who escaped one day after marrying a Saudi man surrendered herself to police earlier this week, Masrawy reported.
The young girl was referred to public prosecution, where she was reunited with her father and husband.
The two men reconciled at the return of the minor, and the case the Saudi man had filed against the father was dropped. After the reconciliation, the 17-year-old was returned to her 37-year-old husband.
The child bride was married off to the man for 125,000 Egyptian pounds
The Saudi man had paid the bride's father 125,000 Egyptian pounds ($6,979) right before the wedding.
Because a girl needs to be at least 18-years-old to >legally marry in Egypt, the couple's marriage was conducted under a customary contract (zawaj orfi,) which is considered unofficial in Egypt.
Right after the wedding, the girl escaped an apartment the man had rented out for their honeymoon.
He then reported the matter at a police station in Egypt's Tokh city, who launched an investigation into the matter.
The latest turn in the case angered many on social media
Some called on authorities to take stricter action when it comes to illegal child marriages.
However, others questioned how officials let both the husband and father go unpunished even though they arranged the illegal marriage of an underage girl.
"If our laws were strict, the husband would've been arrested for marrying a child"
"That's regardless of his nationality. The girl's father and the woman who arranged this marriage would've also been arrested."
People called on the girl's father to be held accountable for his crime
"Her father must be punished over his crime."
"Laws need to be changed to criminalize men who marry underage girls"
Child marriage cases are widespread in Egypt and globally
Child marriage cases are >widespread in Egypt and continue to be a major problem, especially in rural areas.
Last year, the issue sparked controversy in the country after several preachers, and even an Egyptian MP, >called on authorities to lower the marital age for girls.
It is also a prevalent problem in >Arab countries and other states> around the globe.
According to the World Economic Forum, 117 countries around the world allow child marriages, either because there is no age specification or it is allowed under certain circumstances.
Globally, UNICEF says 39,000 child marriages occur daily, with one in three girls in the developing world forced into marriage before the age of 18.