Girl, 11, gives birth at wedding

SLIVEN (Bulgaria) - AN 11-year-old girl became a mother after
going into labour during her wedding to her teenage boyfriend, reported European
media on Monday.

Kordeza Zhelyazkova was still wearing her wedding dress and tiara when she arrived at hospital and gave birth to little Violeta.

The schoolgirl, of Sliven, Bulgaria, fell pregnant within just two weeks of her 11th birthday. She gave birth last week with 19-year-old husband Jeliazko Dimitrov at her side.

'I'm not going to play with toys any more - I have a new toy now,' Kordeza told Britain's News of the World newspaper. 'She is so beautiful, I love her. Violeta is the child and I must grow up. I am not going back to school - I am a mother now.'

Kordeza met Jeliazko in the playground of her gypsy school when he rescued her from bullies. Their daughter was conceived within a week. Kordeza admitted: 'I haven't had sex education classes and I didn't know how to get pregnant. I'd never had a boyfriend and I'd never heard of condoms.'

The pair had a traditional Roma wedding - but now Jeliazko is facing up to six years behind bars for having sex with a minor. 'I'm scared. I want to look after my wife and child. Instead I may be going to prison,' he said. 'I made a mistake but I am not going to apologise for that because now I have beautiful Violeta.'