The new law, set to receive parliamentary approval by July, is seen as a protective move especially for girls by annulling foreign marriages involving minors. It will allow youth welfare workers to take into care underaged girls even if they were legally married abroad and, if deemed necessary, separate them from their husbands. The age of consent for all marriages in Germany will be raised from 16 to 18 years. Foreign marriages involving spouses under 16 are considered invalid, and those involving 16 or 17-year-olds can be annulled by family courts. There were 1,475 married minors registered in Germany last July - 361 of them aged under 14 - according to the latest figures released after a parliamentary request.

Source: The Local April 05, 2017 04:18 UTC