Baden-Württemberg reports 358 child marriages since 2012

Authorities in the German state of Baden-Württemberg have recorded 358 marriages involving minors since 2012. Data released in response to inquiries from AfD politicians Nikolaos Boutakoglou and Emely Knorr reveals that only eight of these cases resulted in a definitive judicial annulment between 2018 and 2024.

The remaining 350 cases were closed for various administrative reasons, such as a spouse passing away, a minor reaching adulthood, or the parties marrying abroad. This has raised questions regarding the effectiveness of existing protection mechanisms and the ultimate fate of the victims.

Notable cases include an Iraqi girl married to a 17-year-old at age 11, which was annulled in 2020, and a 14-year-old Afghan girl married to a 30-year-old man, which was dissolved in 2018. Other recent annulments in 2024 involved 16-year-olds married to adult men from Pakistan and Syria. While the data is specific to Baden-Württemberg and does not reflect national German statistics, it has prompted calls for stricter protections for minors.