By Ruth Styles Twisting her skirt nervously in her hands, it is clear that life for Mashid Rezai, from northern Iran, hasn't been easy - and that talking about it is harder still. Aged 11, she doused herself in petrol and set herself ablaze in a bid to avoid an arranged marriage to a man more than 20 years her senior. Now 36, she remains terribly scarred and was forced to flee to London to escape her father - a man so violent he beat his daughter in hospital as she recovered from her burns. Scroll down for video Common: Mashid says child weddings are common in Iran and girls as young as nine are married off
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Mashid Rezai, now 36, was 11 when she tried to commit suicide
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Set herself ablaze to avoid arranged marriage to much older man
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Violent father beat her as she lay recovering in her hospital bed
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Aged 13, she fled to Tehran and was taken in by a kind surgeon
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Forced to leave Iran because of her injuries and seek asylum in UK
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People would attack her in street and throw stones because of scars
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Says she hopes her story will help others in same situation
A plastic surgeon there took pity on the child, eventually helping her to escape @placeholder and her violent father for good.