Ireland: NEW laws may be necessary to protect very young people from being subjected to ‘forced’ marriages, a judge has warned.
His comment came after the High Court annulled the union between a 16-year-old Egyptian girl and a 29-year-old man whom she married against her wishes.
The marriage between the couple, who are both of the Islamic faith, was declared null and void, in a ruling which was delivered by Mr Justice John MacMenamin.
“While Irish society is becoming increasingly diverse and the Constitution attaches great significance to equality, children’s rights and the institution of marriage, there are no laws addressing marriages involving ‘no real consent’,” Mr Justice John MacMenamin said. An Irish charity warned that more cases of forced marriage have been identified in women living in Ireland. Plan Ireland said: “With changing patterns of migration into Ireland in recent years, it is not hugely surprising that cases of forced and child marriage among people living here have been identified.”
Read more: http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/teen-girl-wins-freedom-from-forced-wedding-29357969.html
Tags: forced marriage, halo project, haloproject, honour based violence, marriage, rape, victims, violence
