Few child marriages in Baden-Württemberg have been legally annulled since 2018
The Baden-Württemberg interior ministry disclosed that only eight out of 350 documented child marriages were officially dissolved between 2018 and 2024, including cases involving an 11-year-old girl.
In answer to a Kleine Anfrage from AfD legislators, Baden-Württemberg’s interior ministry revealed that out of 350 child marriage incidents recorded between 2015 and 2026, only eight have been legally dissolved. The annulments span from 2018 to 2024 and include an eleven-year-old Iraqi girl whose marriage to a 17-year-old was voided, as well as two 2024 cases involving 16-year-old brides from Germany and Syria married to men in their mid-20s. The majority of the remaining cases were not overturned, with explanations ranging from the spouses reaching the age of majority to the death of a partner.
The ministry also noted that no active court proceedings aim to annul any of the undocumented marriages. Additionally, the state’s counseling service YASEMIN reported 80 cases of threatened forced marriages in 2025, 33 of which involved minors, though school attendance data were unavailable.
Why it matters
It highlights the limited legal response to child marriage in a German state, raising concerns about protection for vulnerable minors.
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