Groom attacks bride during wedding, gets charged with hooliganism

• The game involved a race to unwrap sweets, which the bride won.
• Angry groom hit her on head, a govt committee says in statement.
• Groom charged with "petty hooliganism"; Could be fined or detained. 

TASHKENT A man in Uzbekistan who attacked his bride when she beat him in a game at their wedding has been charged with hooliganism after the viral incident that made international headlines.

The game, organised by wedding guests, involved a race to unwrap sweets, which the bride won.

"The angry groom hit her on the head," a government committee said in a statement late Wednesday.

The statement added that police had talked to the couple and their parents about the incident, which took place on June 6 in the southern region of Surkhandaryo.

The footage showed the bride visibly distressed by the assault, as loud applause greeted her victory in the game.

Uzbekistan's state prosecutor said that the groom was charged with "petty hooliganism" and could be fined or spend a maximum of 15 days in detention if found guilty.

A separate committee in the Uzbek legislature's upper house said the young man had "apologised to the bride and expressed regret at his actions" at a neighbourhood hearing on the violence attended by community elders and relatives of the couple.

"On the same day, the bride and groom reconciled and now live together," the committee said.

Saida Mirziyoyeva, daughter of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and an influential player in the country's media scene, called the groom's actions "disgusting" in a Facebook post.

"We shouldn't remain silent about such cases, we should not pretend that they are one-offs," Mirziyoyeva said.

"This is why we need education that opens horizons and makes women independent and strong."