EACH year, an estimated 12 million girls aged under 18 marry against their will across the globe.

Forced marriages were criminalised in Spain in 2015, both as a specific form of coercion (offence against liberty) and as a type of human trafficking, yet, regrettably, it is a crime that still takes place.

In fact a total of 25 forced marriages have been detected in Spain between 2020 and 2022, according to government data, a crime that has, unfortunately, been gradually increasing in recent years.

The Executive branch of the government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, made these data public in response to a parliamentary question from Vox on the subject.

According to Sanchez, a total of eight cases of forced marriage were recorded in 2020, compared to five in 2021 and 12 in 2022 (in the period between January and November).

“The Government of Spain’s commitment to advancing rights and freedoms is total and unequivocal,” Sanchez said, highlighting that the State Security Forces and Corps prosecute all crimes committed in the country, in compliance with the Spanish Constitution and current legislation.

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