My guess is it´s easier not to do anything. The fact that it concerns a relatively small group only helps pretending such things don´t happen. Besides, from what i know, the Romani are a pretty hermetic group and it´s very hard to get them to cooperate. Surely, it´s not an excuse for police or courts, but I think ignoring this abhorrent phenomenon is their policy

People like not doing a sod about anything. They actually don´t think it´s a cultural issue, but it´s a nice excuse to sit on one´s behind. So much is happening around the world with young girls, but in general humanity likes to close its eyes for it.

Let´s not forget that it is not just a young girls who are victims.  The father in this particular situation is a 13 year old boy!  He is just as much a victim in this case as the girl....and their baby! 

Sure he is, GG. However it´s not his organism that has been physically worn out by pregnancy and birth. Plus, in his society he has a higher position than her. Mentally, however, the boy is done wrong beyond doubt

I ever played "doctor" when I was young. Experimenting is one thing, but it´s not natural for a 10 year old to have sex. When I was 10 I was still playing with my barbies, and was convinced all boys had flees.

 Their parents ignorance of birth control????  So are you saying it´s ok for children of this age to have sex as long as they are using birth control?!?!?  I´m sure that can´t possibly be what you meant to say.

Stumpy - I think there´s more to it than just lack of sexual education. Since it´s a Romani family the boy and the girl were probably married and had legitimate sex aimed at procreation.

As for contraception, Isle of Wight introduced a scheme with free pills for teenagers, if I´m not mistaken, which stirred up quite a controversy

Due to the fact that more and more teenagers/children are "experimenting" The question it comes down to is this, would you rather them safely doing so or dangerously doing so? As much as I don´t like to admit it, it´s got to the point (and gone past it!) a long time ago that more teenage girls are getting pregnant (and then usually left to defend for themselves) or either teenager has caught some STD at least once.

Why is it though, girls who sleep around are known as "sluts/whores" where as with guys it seems to boost there egos and makes them more of a "man"? It´s something I´ve never quite understood. In my eyes, they are both as bad as each other, after all, it takes two to tango

I mean if she gave birth at 10, then she must have had sex at 9 something. Either she has really entered the puberty very early or her age is somewhat more than it is on her identity card which is a common thing in some societies. Anyway, i cannot imagine in which conditions they are brought up as someone must have taught these children to do such a thing because at 9 I was still drinking milk from biberon.

It is not very complicated. it is something that has been developed till today since the old times. Women have been treated almost always differently than man since the old times, at least from the time of civilization. it is no wonder that it has not disappeared. It should be mostly because of the lack of birth control in the old times, which is a quiet recent thing. The mother of the offspring is always clear but the problem is the father. Unknown father or he doubt (not being sure if the biological father is the considered father), it is not hard to imagine which problems/conflicts it can cause. the sexual freedom of women has always been limited by the motherhood. with the effective birth control methods, women have somewhat earned their freedom but since over years moral and social values and culture have been structured over this handicap, it is not easy to get rid of the rooted discrimination. 

Well, other things can be said but this is how I see it.