Hundreds of child marriages revealed in Germany - with girls as young as 11 married to Iraqis, Syrians and Pakistanis

Hundreds of child marriages have been revealed in Germany, as new data indicates that girls as young as 11 are being married off to adult men. 

Data revealed that since April 2012, officials in the German state of Baden-Württemberg recorded 358 marriages involving a child. 

But in just eight of these cases were marriages formally annulled. 

The data was revealed after local politicians from the hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party filed a parliamentary inquiry with the state government. 

Among the most egregious marriages was the 2020 partnering of an 11-year-old Iraqi girl and a 17-year-old Iraqi teenager. It is unclear when or why this marriage was annulled. 

In 2018, meanwhile, a 14-year-old Afghan girl was married to a 30-year-old Afghan man. This case also left questions as to when or why this marriage was annulled unanswered. 

Since 2015, a total of 350 instances of child marriage were recorded. Many of those who were involved in these partnerships came from countries including Syria, Iraq and Pakistan. 

Nikolaos Boutakoglou, one of the AfD politicians who requested the data, said on X: 'Nearly 40 per cent of child marriages were contracted between Syrians, while child marriages between two Germans account for only 0.3 per cent.'

The state government said that despite the hundreds of instances of child marriage, there are not currently any legal proceedings to annul any of them. 

Emely Knoll, the other AfD politician who raised the question of child marriages in the German state, said on her Facebook: 'Child marriages are incompatible with our values. 

'Children have a right to safety, education, and a self-determined future. That is why we need effective protection, early intervention, and decisive action against forced marriages.'

According to the data from Baden-Württemberg, the vast majority of people who are underage in their marriages are women. 

According to the UN, nearly one-in-five women were married before the age of 18. 

This proportion is worst in west and central Africa, where 32 per cent of women are married before they turn 18. 

Worse still, one-in-25 women across the world are married before they turn 15.

Unicef says child marriage is 'a fundamental violation of human rights'.

It adds on its website: 'Child marriage often compromises a girl’s development by resulting in early pregnancy and social isolation, interrupting her schooling, limiting her opportunities for career and vocational advancement and placing her at risk of domestic violence.'