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Baden-Württemberg reports 358 child marriages since 2012
Official data from the German state of Baden-Württemberg reveals that 358 child marriages have been recorded since April 2012. The figures were released by the state Interior Ministry in response to a parliamentary inquiry by Alternative for Germany (AfD) lawmakers Nikolaos Boutakoglou and Emely Knorr.
Of the 358 recorded cases, only eight were formally annulled by courts between 2018 and 2024. The remaining 350 cases were closed under the category of 'other resolutions.' The state government noted that these alternative conclusions could result from factors such as a partner reaching adulthood, the death of a spouse, a decision not to pursue annulment, or a subsequent marriage occurring abroad.
The ministry clarified that its oversight specifically concerns such marriages that were contracted in foreign countries. Notable documented cases include the 2020 annulment of an 11-year-old Iraqi girl married to a 17-year-old, and the 2018 annulment of a 14-year-old Afghan girl married to a 30-year-old man. In 2024, two additional annulments involved a 16-year-old German girl and a 16-year-old Syrian girl.
Germany has had a law to combat child marriage in effect since the summer of 2017, and the Bundestag passed new regulations in 2024 to further protect minors in marriages performed abroad.
Entities
AfD · Alternative für Deutschland · Baden-Württemberg · Bundestag · Emely Knorr · Nikolaos Boutakoglou · Terre des Femmes · Tübingen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 8 SOURCES] 358 child marriages have been recorded in Baden-Württemberg since April 2012. www.maravillastereo.com · melliun.org · modernity.news · rairfoundation.com · es.euronews.com · +3 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Possible reasons for non-annulment include a spouse reaching adulthood, death of a partner, or a decision not to seek annulment. www.maravillastereo.com · melliun.org · modernity.news · es.euronews.com · www.lejdd.fr
- [● 4 SOURCES] The ministry focuses exclusively on child marriages contracted abroad. www.maravillastereo.com · melliun.org · es.euronews.com · tr.euronews.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] Only eight of these marriages were formally annulled by courts between 2018 and 2024. www.maravillastereo.com · melliun.org · modernity.news · rairfoundation.com · es.euronews.com · +3 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Approximately 350 cases were closed under the category of 'other resolutions'. www.maravillastereo.com · melliun.org · modernity.news · rairfoundation.com · es.euronews.com · +3 more