Girl, 14, Dies Giving Birth at Church Shrine

The death of a 14-year-old girl during childbirth at a church shrine in Zimbabwe has reignited debate surrounding child marriage and child sexual abuse in the African nation.

Memory Machaya was reportedly raped, denied medical treatment and forced out of school before giving birth last month at an Apostolic church in the eastern region of Marange.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police said it would be conducting an investigation into the death and has "taken note of print and social media reports" in a statement issued on Friday.

Human rights activist Karen Mukwasi urged police to look into the case and called for the prosecution of those involved. "Any progress with prosecution of those behind the reported death of Memory?" she said in a tweet directed towards the police force on Thursday.

"When a 14 yr old dies giving birth we should all be outraged. Stop the rape of children in the name of religion."

A Change.org petition, Justice for Memory Machaya, also set up by Mukwasi calls for authorities to take allegations of sexual crimes against children seriously.

"This is a clear case of child sexual abuse and perpetrators have to be brought to book," the petition reads. "The child was raped, impregnated and then denied treatment. The adults involved should be held liable for not only the death of this child but the rape as well. It is time for the Zimbabwe Republic Police to launch an investigations into cases of child sexual abuse and child marriages that the Johane Marange sect is being accused of."

On August 7, the United Nations issued a statement condemning the practice of child marriage in Zimbabwe.

"The United Nations in Zimbabwe notes with deep concern and condemns strongly the surrounding circumstances leading to the untimely death of 14-year-old Memory Machaya from Marange, who died while giving birth at an apostolic sect shrine," the statement read. "Sadly, disturbing reports of the sexual violation of under-age girls, including early forced child marriages continue to surface and indeed this is another sad case."

The organization noted that one out of every three girls in Zimbabwe will be married before the age of 18, describing the statistic as "unacceptable."

"The current trend of unresolved cases of violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe, including marriages of minors, cannot continue with impunity," the statement continued.

Machaya died last month but the case only received attention after her family shared their story with local media. Relatives said the baby survived the birth and was doing well.

The practice of child marriage is a topic of contention in Zimbabwe. The country has two sets of marriage laws, the Marriage Act and Customary Marriages Act. Neither law gives a minimum age for marriage consent, while the customary law allows polygamy.

A new marriages bill is currently before parliament for debate and seeks to synchronize the laws, banning marriage of anyone below 18 years and prosecuting anyone involved in the marriage of a minor.