Almost 200 forced marriages in Catalonia in recent years, many of them involving girls

A platform of educators from the Raval neighborhood has sent out a distress message this week about what is happening with many girls. They warn of extreme family control over these girls in closed religious communities. Upon reaching adulthood, they are prevented from engaging in activities and having any type of social life.

Cultural associations in the neighborhood warn that in many cases social isolation is the preliminary step to forcing them into marriage. This should raise all alarms. Especially considering that this is not an isolated incident.

Humanitarian organizations have been warning for some time about the increase in forced marriages in Europe in recent years. We are facing a growing phenomenon, which also has its impact in Catalonia.

Precisely to shed light on the problem, Vox has requested data from the Parliament on forced marriages (not only of minors) in Catalonia. The Department of Equality and Feminisms has provided the cases that have been recorded from 2009 to 2021.

These are official data provided by the Department of the Interior.

During this period, 194 cases of forced marriages have been recorded, despite the law strictly prohibiting them. The main increase occurred between 2009 and 2011, and since then it has remained stable. In some years it has been particularly high, such as in 2013, with 26 cases detected.

Many cases of 16 and 17 years old

The department has also provided a breakdown by age. Four of the forced marriages are of girls between 10 and 12 years old, while 46 cases of girls between 13 and 16 years old forced to marry have been detected. In fact, the 16 and 17-year-old age group accumulates the most cases, with 32 and 25 forced marriages.

The Department of Equality hasn't provided data on the origin of the families "to avoid possible stigmatization." It states that the issue must be addressed "from the perspective that it constitutes a serious violation of human rights." But it adds that "it is a universal phenomenon that affects all cultures and societies."

Additionally, it should be noted that the statistics don't take into account the period from 2021 to the present. And it only shows the detected cases, without reflecting those of which there is suspicion or low risk. Therefore, the data don't capture the entirety of a phenomenon that is probably even worse.

Growing phenomenon in Europe

Humanitarian organizations have warned of the increase in forced marriages in recent years in Europe. They also claim that many of these cases involve girls and adolescents. This has prompted states to legislate specifically against these practices and to develop mechanisms to address the problem.

The case was reported last year by MEP Assita Kanko in the European Parliament. She warned that in 2024 there are girls and women living in the European Union as if we were in the Middle Ages.

Kanko, originally from Burkina Faso and not precisely from the far right, clearly pointed to the Islamic community as responsible for this situation. In this religion, marriages are regulated by sharia and only adhere to its laws and dictates. Religious control is combined with the particular customs of each country, leading to closed communities and parallel worlds.

"The dignity of women is at stake, European values must prevail," proclaimed this MEP. "We can't let these women and girls live in the Middle Ages in 2024. If we abandon them, we are abandoning all women."