A UAE-based Arab man who forced his 15-year-old daughter to marry his 40-year-old friend was recently prosecuted by a court in Al Ain, Khaleej Times reported. 

The underage school girl was married off against her will because the "man promised to pay a huge dowry" to her father.

Though the child bride's mother was completely against the marriage, the defendant traveled to a neighboring Gulf state with his daughter and signed her marriage contract to the man. 

Just a month after the wedding, the young girl tried to return to her parent's house several times and complained that her husband was mistreating her.  

The father was later accused of "marrying off a minor"

According to the English-language daily, the father tried to mediate between the couple, asking his friend to treat his daughter with kindness. 

However, the fighting continued until the 40-year-old husband decided to end the marriage. 

He tried to get back with the 15-year-old after finding out she's pregnant, but she and her parents refused.

"The father went to the personal status court in Al Ain and requested that the couple be separated," Khaleej Times wrote.

Though the court approved the divorce, the child bride's father was referred to a criminal court as he was accused of "marrying off a minor." 

Not the first case of its kind to be reported in recent months

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time the case of a father who sold his daughter to receive a dowry is reported this year. 

In August, an Egyptian father was paid 125,000 Egyptian pounds ($6,979) to marry off his underage daughter to a Saudi man. 

Though the 17-year-old bride escaped an apartment her 37-year-old husband had rented out for their honeymoon just one day after the wedding, she was later "returned" to him by police. 

Child marriage cases are widespread in the region and globally

Child marriages are still widespread in the Arab world, especially when it comes to rural areas in countries including Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. 

However, the issue isn't limited to the region and is also considered a global problem. 

According to the World Economic Forum, 117 countries around the world allow child marriages, either because there is no set age specification or it is allowed under certain circumstances.

Globally, UNICEF says 39,000 child marriages occur daily. While one in three girls in the developing world are forced into marriage before the age of 18.