2024
“NY Father & Son Convicted for Forced Marriage, Kidnapping Plot,” Daily News (December 21, 2024). A father and son from Lackawanna, New York, were convicted for orchestrating a kidnapping plot to force a woman into marriage. The pair abducted the victim, intending to coerce her into marrying the son against her will. Both were found guilty on charges including kidnapping and conspiracy, highlighting the serious legal consequences of forced marriage practices. This case underscores the importance of safeguarding individual rights and the need for vigilance against such coercive actions. Read more.
“DC Takes Step to End Child Marriage, Aiming to Protect Minors from Trafficking” WTOP News (October 21, 2024). Early Monday Morning, members of the DC Coalition to End Child Marriage appeared before the DC legislative council to give testimonies in support of the bill. Expert on child marriage legislation, Alex Goyette stated that D.C is at risk of becoming the “place where minors are brought for marriage unless we do something about it” Read more.
“A Global Coalition of 1,400 Organizations Is Trying to End Child Marriage — We Explain How” Global Citizen, (October 2, 2024). With less than six years left to attain the UN SDG goal to end Child Early and Forced Marriage globally, organizations across the globe are uniting to make this goal attainable. NGOs such as Girls Not Brides and Tahirih Justice Center are championing the campaign for the passing of bipartisan legislations such as the Child Marriage Act of 2024. Read more.
“How Child Marriage Survivor Naila Amin Plans to End the Practice in the U.S.” Teen Vogue, (October 1,2024). Naila Amin, a survivor advocate from New York is championing the campaign to have the Federal Child Marriage Prevention Act in the remaining 37 states and the District of Colombia during the Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Naila believes that we “needed Naila’s Law in New York, and we need the Child Marriage Prevention Act across the United States today. This is something I think anyone, regardless of political affiliation or background, can agree with.” Read more.
“Former Midlands Student Arranged for Girl to Undergo Illegal Honour Based Procedure,” Express and Star, (September 30,2024). Following a landmark case in Nottingham Crown Court that set a precedent for the criminalization of gender-based violence crimes that occur outside the United Kingdom, Emad Kaky is set to be sentenced for conspiring to send a young girl to Iran to undergo FGM and potentially face child marriage. “Female genital mutilation is a horrific crime to subject anyone to – let alone a child,” said Crown Prosecution. Read More.
“Family Kidnapped Woman to Force Her into Marriage, Feds say. Brother Pleads Guilty,” Miami Herald (September 20, 2024). A New York Woman was coerced and Kidnapped by her father and brothers to Cario then Yemen in an effort to force her into a marriage. The Woman who had once escaped to Mexico to marry her fiancé was held hostage in her home, before travelling to Egypt and Yemen for a Forced marriage. According to the prosecution documents, the family was aware that planning to kidnap and confine the woman in Yemen and Egypt was a felony. The father and brother are due in court in October for trial. Read More.
“Austria Agrees to Ban Marriages for Those Under 18,” Jurist (August 20, 2024). Austria a banned child marriage by raising its minimum marriage age to 18, following calls by global advocates including UNICEF to take action on the issue. Previous law allowed for 16- and 17-year-olds to be marry with parental consent and judicial approval. Read more.
“I Was Forced into an Arranged Marriage at 18. Then I Found a Chat Room that Promised Escape – for a Price,” Huffington Post (August 16, 2024). At only 18 years old, Beatrice was married off to her husband in a Hasidic Marriage. And at 40 years old, Beatrice had found a way out of her arranged unfulfilling marriage through an adult chat room for heimish people that restored her agency and allowed her to leave an impossible marriage “’I will leave, I deserve better,’” Beatrice promised herself. Read more.
“Report Examines Scotland’s Legal Protection for Forced Marriage Victims,” Phys.org (August 7, 2024). New research examines Scotland’s legal protections for those at risk of forced marriage – the first of its kind since legislation tackling the issue was introduced to Scots law in 2011 and 2014. The research investigates the operation and impact of the current legal framework in respect of forced marriage, and assessed the availability, accessibility and effectiveness of legal remedies in respect of, and sanctions against, forced marriage. Read more.
“We Failed: How the Tragic Case of Ruqia Haidari Could Change the Way Australia Deals with Forced Marriage,” The Guardian (August 3, 2024). This week in a landmark case for Australia, a woman was sentenced to prison time for forcing her daughter into a marriage that eventually ended in her murder. Forced marriage advocates say the prosecution shows a failure in how the case was handled. “We left her without support, without a safety net, and can only then retrospectively prosecute [her mother] because she died” said Dr. Laura Vidal. Read more.
“Arizona Women Face Prison Time in Polygamist Sex Abuse Case,” Tucson Sentinel (August 1, 2024). Three women from Arizona have been sentenced to seven years in prison in connection to the child sex abuse case with members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. The three women facing prison time were reportedly survivors of childhood sexual abuse from family and community members. Federal Prosecutor Besancon implied that the women could have avoided harming children in the community by rejecting the behavior and leaving community. Read more.
“The Saudi Wife Who Fled to Melbourne – Then Disappeared,” BBC News (August 1, 2024). Lolita fled an older man she’d been forced to marry when she was a child in Saudi Arabia, arriving safely in Australia in 2022. Less than a year after her arrival, she vanished. Her case appears to be part of a growing trend in Australia and around the world, of authoritarian governments reaching beyond their own borders to harm residents who have sought safety abroad. Read more.
“The Very Progressive State Where Child Marriage is Legal, and Local ACLU Chapter Claims it Would be ‘Discriminatory’ to Ban it,” Daily Mail (July 29, 2024). The introduction of the AB 2924 bill in California seeking to make the minimum legal age of marriage 18 years has been met with significant pushback. Organizations such as planned parenthood are skeptical AB 2924 bill might drive abuse relationships underground. Survivor advocates and affiliate organizations are adamant that Planned Parenthood and others have turned AB 2924 into “a political issue versus looking at this as an actual issue that affects children Read more.
“Mum Jailed for Forcing Daughter into Fatal Marriage,” BBC News (July 29, 2024). Jan is the first person under Australian Forced Marriage laws to be sentenced to jail for coercing her daughter– recently murdered– into an arranged marriage. This case has set precedence for all other similar pending cases since the introduction of the Forced marriage laws in 2013. Jan, who is sentenced to three years in jail, is set to serve 12 months before consideration of release to serve her remaining term in the community Read more.
“Men Allegedly Force Aussie Teens to Marry,” Yahoo News (July 26, 2024). For the first time ever, the Australian Federal Police have laid charges against three offenders who coerced two teenagers, 13 and 17, into a Forced Marriage. Superintendent Chwal says “The legal age for marriage in Australia is 18, and while a child aged 16 to 18 can obtain permission from a court to marry, the person they wed must be an adult.” Read more.
“I Was Handed to a Complete Stranger: The Survivors Fighting to End Child Marriage in 37 States – and the People Who Want to Keep it Legal,” Yahoo News (July 9, 2024). Courtney Kosnik was 16 when she met the man who would become her husband in a Detroit coffee shop. She thought she’d met her savior. She was living in poverty, under the care of an alcoholic mother who struggled to hold down jobs. He promised her stability. Two months later, he proposed. Read more.
“Sierra Leone Bans Child Marriage,” All Africa (June 27, 2024). Sierra Leone’s lawmakers have adopted the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2024 to ban child marriage in the country. Hundreds of thousands of children, most of whom are girls, are victims of early marriage or union. The law will impose prison sentences of at least 15 years with minimum fines of at least 50,000 leones (2,000 euros). Read More.
“Sununu Signs Bill Raising Marriage Age to 18,” The Bulletin Board (June 17, 2024). Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill that will bar those under 18 from getting marriage licenses in New Hampshire, adding NH to a list of 11 other states that have fully banned marriage for minors. Senate Bill 359 states that: “No person below the age of 18 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage, and all marriages contracted by such persons shall be null and void.” Under current law, that age is 16. The new law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Read more.
“Legislation Enacting Total Ban on Child Marriage in Missouri Dies in the House,” Neosho Daily News (May 23, 2024). Child marriage will remain legal in Missouri for at least another year after Republican House leaders said they don’t have enough time to pass it. Under current Missouri law, anyone under 16 is prohibited from getting married. But 16- and 17-year-olds can get married with parental consent to anyone under 21. Under legislation that cleared the Senate with virtually no opposition earlier this year, marriage would be banned for anyone under 18. Read more.
“Mo. Independent: Last-Ditch Push to Ban Child Marriage in Missouri Must Overcome Resistance in House,” Spectrum News (May 13, 2024). Lawmakers are making an effort to save legislation that would ban child marriage in Missouri. While the bill passed nearly unanimously in the Senate, it is stuck in a House committee where the chair says he does not have the votes to advance the legislation. Read more.
“New Hampshire Legislators Pass Bill to Ban Child Marriage. Changing U.S. Immigration Laws Should Be Next, Expert Says,” Northeastern Global News (May 7, 2024). Northeastern University legal and domestic violence expert Hayat Bearat says that while there is little likelihood of national legislation on banning child marriage, the focus should be on changing US immigration laws that promote child marriage. For example, Bearat says that there should be legislation that imposes age restrictions on children immigrating to the US to marry their sponsors. As Bearat says, child marriage can be “utilized as a weapon in immigrant communities” and is associated with increased domestic violence, mental health issues, and limited educational opportunities. Read more.
“N.H. Lawmaker Opposes New Marriage Bill, Says Teens Are of ‘Ripe, Fertile’ Age,” MassLive (May 6, 2024). During a debate on a New Hampshire bill that would set the minimum age of marriage at 18, Republican state Rep. Jess Edwards opposed the bill stating that it would make abortion more desirable for girls who are of a “ripe, fertile” age. Edwards responded to comments on his choice of words stating that people are trying to use his word choice to distract from “the fundamental issue,” which is restricting the freedoms of 16 and 17-year-olds. The current bill passed the House 192-174 and now awaits the governor’s signature. Read more.
“Child Marriage Is a Problem in the U.S. That Needs Urgent Action,” Al Jazeera (April 29, 2024). While child marriage is often seen as a “foreign” problem, it is a prevalent issue throughout the United States. Between 2000-2018, an estimated 300,000 minors under the age of 18 were legally married in the US and only 12 states have passed bans on child marriage. Ending child marriage in the US requires recognizing it as an urgent and domestic problem, focusing on survivor-led advocacy, and working alongside all states to pass and implement a strong legislative framework. Read more.
“Missouri Senate Gives Initial Approval to Complete Ban on Child Marriage,” Missouri Independent (April 10, 2024). A bipartisan bill prohibiting the marriage of anyone under the age of 18 under any circumstance was approved in the Missouri Senate Wednesday afternoon. While Missouri raised the minimum marriage age to 16 in 2018, the state continues to allow minors to marry, with around 300 children married since 2018. Republican Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, one of the co-sponsors of the bill and a survivor of child marriage, also added a provision to the bill that would modify fees in divorce proceedings. Read more.
“Virginia lawmakers have voted to raise the marriage age to 18. Most states haven’t,” NPR (April 4, 2024). Lawmakers in Virginia voted this month to set the minimum age of marriage to 18-years-old. If the governor signs this bill into law, Virginia will become the 12th state to ban marriage for minors. Brigitte Combs, a resident of Virginia and survivor of child marriage, testified at the Virginia Senate committee, sharing the long-lasting impacts of being married at 15. Read more.
“Missouri GOP Lawmaker Was Married at 15. She Now Wants to Ban all Child Marriages,” The Kansas City Star (March 18, 2024). Senator Holly Thompson Rehder was married to her 21-year-old boyfriend when she was just 15. Now a state senator, she is seeking to end child marriage in Missouri. While the legislation was heard in early January, the bill has not yet been debated in front of the full chamber. Read more.
“State Legislature Passes Bill to Ban Child Marriages in Washington,” KIRO 7 (February 25, 2024). Washington’ state legislature passed HB 1455, which seeks to close the loopholes that currently allow the marriage of minors under certain circumstances, with 48 out of 49 senators voting yea. If signed by Governor Inslee, the bill will make Washington the 11th state to end child marriage. Read more.
“Virginia Might End ‘Loophole’ in Child Marriage Law,” VPM (February 5, 2024). Judy Wiegand got married in Clintwood, VA when she was just 13 years old. Now she and other survivors of child marriage, backed by nonprofits including the Tahirih Justice Center, are pushing Virginia to end child marriage. Legislation sponsored by Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra would do just that by setting a minimum marriage age of 18, no exceptions. Read more.
“Missouri Bills Propose Minimum Marriage Age of 18,” Ozarks First (February 3, 2024). Senate Bills 767 and 1342 were assigned to be heard by the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. Both bills, now combined, would make the minimum legal marriage age 18 with no exceptions. Currently, Missouri state law prohibits anyone under 16 years old from getting married and anyone under 18 years old from marrying a person who is at least 21 years old. Read more.
“British Girl, 13, is Dramatically Saved from a Forced Marriage to Her Cousin in Pakistan,” Daily Mail (January 31, 2024). Staff at the British embassy acted in to prevent a 13-year-old girl from being forced to marry. The girl and her parents had traveled to Pakistan for what she and her mother thought was just a holiday, but in reality was a marriage planned in secret by her father. Her mother contacted a neighbor in the U.K. who was able to get in touch with the British police, social workers, and the Government’s Forced Marriage Unit. Officials from the embassy persuaded the father’s family to return his wife and daughter’s passports so they could return to England. Read more.
“Legislative Panel Shoots Down South Dakota Bill to Raise the Age for Marriage to 18,” AP News (January 30, 2024). South Dakota’s House of State Affairs Committee voted to reject a bill that would raise the age of marriage to 18 preserving current law that allows 16– and 17-year-olds to marry if they have consent of a parent or legal guardian. Opposed lawmakers, including one who married his wife when she was a minor, believe this existing safeguard to be sufficient. Read more.
“House Bill Could Ban Child Marriages in New Mexico,” KRQE News (January 29,2024). A New Mexico House committee signed off on House Bill 242 which would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from obtaining a marriage license. Currently, anyone aged 16 or 17 can get a marriage license in the state with written consent from their parents. The bill would also increase the fees for a marriage license and would allow service men and women who are outside of the state to get married virtually. Read more.
“Forced Marriage and Surrogacy to be Added to EU Law for Human Trafficking Crimes,” Malta Today (January 24, 2024). Negotiators for the Members of European Parliament and the European Council have come to an agreement to add forced marriage as a type of exploitation covered by the EU’s anti-trafficking laws. The provisional agreement will be submitted to member state representatives for confirmation, and be formally adopted by both the Council and the European Parliament. If approved, member states would be required to make it a criminal offense to knowingly utilize services provided by a victim of trafficking – including forced marriage. Read more.
“At 19, I Was Forced to Marry a Stranger and Was Sexually Assaulted Every Month for 12 Years,” HuffPost (January 9, 2024). At 19 years old, Fraidy Reiss was forced to marry an older man by her parents that she had never met. From the beginning of her marriage, she had been violently abused and threatened. Her husband did not allow her to own her own bank account or credit card, and under Orthodox Jewish law, if her husband allowed her to work, any money earned was to be given to him. In 2011, Fraidy Reiss founded a nonprofit organization, Unchained At Last, to combat forced and child marriage in the United States. Read more.
“VICTORY! Washington House Unanimously Readopts Bill to End Child Marriage,” Northwest Progressive Institute (January 8, 2024). The Washington State House of Representatives voted unanimously on opening day to pass legislation that would put an end to child marriage. The bill sets a minimum marriage age of eighteen, a sharp contrast to current law which has no firm age floor. The bill is on its way to the Senate, where Chair Manka Dhingra will schedule it for a hearing in the Law & Justice committee. Read more.
