Child Brides as Young as 11: Germany Records 358 Child Marriages

STUTTGART, Oct 13: Authorities in Germany’s southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg have officially recorded 358 child marriages since 2012, but only eight have been legally annulled, according to a state government response to a parliamentary inquiry.

The remaining 350 cases were closed through other means, including spouses reaching adulthood, the death of a spouse, decisions not to pursue annulment or the conclusion of another marriage abroad, according to the authorities.

The state government provided the figures in response to questions from Alternative for Germany (AfD) lawmakers Nikolaos Boutakoglou and Emely Knorr. The Interior Ministry said the Tübingen regional authority is responsible for maintaining the records.

The eight annulments took place between 2018 and 2024. Among the documented cases was the marriage of an 11-year-old Iraqi girl to a 17-year-old Iraqi boy, which was annulled in 2020.

Other cases included the marriage of a 14-year-old Afghan girl to a 30-year-old man, which was ended in 2018. In 2024, authorities annulled the marriages of a 16-year-old German girl to a 25-year-old Pakistani man and a 16-year-old Syrian girl to a 27-year-old Syrian man.

Boutakoglou described the issue as “really awful” in a Facebook post, saying it was being treated as a taboo subject.

The Interior Ministry said its records cover marriages contracted abroad. The statistics include the spouses’ ages and nationalities at the time of marriage, but the state government said it did not have information on the countries where the marriages were conducted.

Germany introduced the Act to Combat Child Marriages in 2017. In 2024, the Bundestag adopted further rules intended to strengthen protections for minors in marriages concluded abroad.

80 people at risk of forced marriage in 2025

The parliamentary inquiry also examined the impact of forced marriage on schoolchildren and the work of YASEMIN, a state-funded counselling service for people affected by or at risk of forced marriage.

The Education Ministry said it did not collect data on school attendance or the educational status of those involved in the recorded marriages. YASEMIN likewise does not categorise its cases by whether the people seeking help are school pupils or by the school year they attend.

According to the Interior Ministry’s response dated Sept 9, 2026, YASEMIN recorded 271 counselling cases in 2025. In 80 cases, the individuals were at risk of forced marriage, including 33 minors.

Of those minors, four were under 12 years old, five were aged 12 and two were aged 13.

The inquiry was prompted by an emergency checklist published in late July 2026 by women's rights organisation Terre des Femmes, primarily aimed at teachers.

AfD lawmaker Knorr called for stronger protection measures, saying on Instagram: “Child marriage is incompatible with our values. Children have a right to safety, education and a self-determined future. That is why we need effective protection, early intervention and resolute action against forced marriages.”

Under German law, only adults aged 18 and above may marry. Forced marriage is also a separate criminal offence under the country’s Penal Code. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child defines everyone under 18 as a child.

The state government said no court proceedings to annul child marriages were pending at the time it responded to the inquiry.

Baden-Württemberg has a population of approximately 11.24 million, representing about 13.5% of Germany’s total population of around 83.5 million.