Men Kidnap And Beat 12-Year-Old Girl But They Don't Realize 3 Lions Are Watching Her Back

In Ethiopia, several men abducted a young girl on her way to school. Only twelve years old, this adolescent girl was savagely beaten by these young men as they tried to force her into marriage. For over a week, these men held this poor girl captive while authorities continued to look for the kidnapped victim.

apost.com

Sadly, this young girl's disappearance is not an anomaly in Ethiopia. In fact, it has become a somewhat common occurrence in this country, where many in rural areas consider it an acceptable marriage custom to abduct and force young girls into marriages. The number of young girls, unfortunately, who receive this treatment is not small, as Ethiopia has a population of 71 million and the United Nations suspects that around 70 percent of marriages in the rural population is forced upon taken girls.

Like many other girls before her, this 12-year-old thought her life was now to be absolutely ruined. Then, three lions stepped into the picture and changed her fate forever.

It seems the lions scared off the abductors and surrounded the young girl until authorities arrived. Sgt. Wondium Wedajo reverently described the scene to the Associated Press, "They stood guard until we found her and then they just left like a gift and went back into the forest."



He went on to say, "If the lions had not come to rescue her, then it could have been much worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage."



Wedajo and his community feel the lions performed an act of divine intervention: "Everyone thinks this is some kind of miracle because normally the lions would attack people."

Of course, whether you believe the lions were part of a miracle or not, wildlife expert Stuart Williams attributes science to the girl's rescue: "A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why they didn't eat her." Whatever the reason the lions decided to save this young girl, something truly magical occurred, and a young life was spared.



This 12-year-old girl, while still in shock from the experience, has been treated for superficial injuries from the abduction. The fact that she is still alive and rescued from her kidnappers is nothing short of, what most would deem, a miracle.

If you enjoyed this story, please pass it on to your friends and family!