Forced Marriage Happens in Australia

Husband and Father Charged

A twelve year old girl  was married in the back yard at the family home in the Hunter Valley by a local sheikh in January 2014. The girl now 13 miscarried after falling pregnant. The twenty seven year old “husband” has been sentenced to a minimum of seven and a half years in jail while the father is currently on trial. Forced marriage is a criminal offence in Australia. It is illegal for any person under the age of sixteen, or two people under the age of eighteen, to marry. If you think someone is in, or at immediate risk of a forced marriage, call the Australian Federal Police on 131 237. In an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000). Read more…