Sweden: Law proposal against child marriages

Parents who allow children under the age of 16 to get married in another country could face up to two years in jail.


The proposal comes as part of a report on human trafficking commissioned by the government and scheduled to be handed over to Justice Minister Beatrice Ask on Tuesday, according to news agency TT.


The inquiry that led to the reports was headed by appeals court judge Agneta Lindelöf, who was given the task in 2006 of looking at ways to tighten legislation surrounding human trafficking.


Lindelöf also looked at the possibility of improving safeguards against child marriages and forced marriages, which are primarily evident among girls with an immigrant background.


In Sweden, people under the age of 18 are only allowed to marry in exceptional circumstances. Under the term's of Lindelöf's proposal, any parent or guardian allowing a Swedish citizen under 16 to marry in a foreign country could be liable to a maximum of two years in prison.


The report also stresses the need for improved education and information among groups in which child marriages and arranged marriages are common.


Source: The Local (English)

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