Complete ban on marriage between relatives and minors in Austria
The Austrian government has decided to impose a complete ban on child marriage, as no marriage will be allowed for those under 18 years old, without any exceptions. The decision also includes a ban on marriage between first-degree relatives, such as cousins, which is still common in some communities.
Austrian Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm confirmed that this decision aims to prevent practices that are considered very common in some countries, such as several Islamic countries, where about 60% of marriages occur between relatives. She explained that these relationships do not align with the values that Austria seeks to establish.
DNA tests will not be used to verify the relationship between spouses; rather, birth certificates of the parents will be requested by the civil registry to determine kinship. As for marriages that take place outside the country, especially during holidays in the countries of origin according to Sharia, they will no longer be recognized in Austria, even if they are registered later. The applicable law in the country of residence will be adopted.
The minister pointed out that marriage in Austria should stem from free will, and not as a result of family pressures or traditional customs. She said: "Minors are unable to realistically assess the consequences of marriage," emphasizing that the likelihood of genetic diseases in marriages between relatives is doubled.
On her part, Justice Minister Anna Sporer (SPÖ) will draft the legal wording of the new decision before the end of the year. Minister Blackholm estimated the annual number of cases involving child marriages or forced marriages to be around 200, with a total of up to 5,000 cases in Austria, with a significant discrepancy between what counseling centers record and what is reported to the police, due to victims' fear of reporting or their desire to remain silent.
The minister concluded that forced marriage and child marriage represent a form of violence based on honor and gender, and a blatant violation of human rights, noting that one in five girls worldwide is married before the age of 18, and that there are about 650 million women in the world who were married in their childhood.