Germany to dissolve child marriages, with some exceptions

BERLIN – Germany’s justice minister is proposing legislation which would dissolve child marriages, with limited exceptions in cases where spouses are at least 16.

Amid the recent influx of migrants to Germany, authorities are seeing a growing number of minors who claim to be married. The exact figure of child marriages in Germany isn’t known but officials estimate there are more than 1,000.

Justice Minister Heiko Maas is proposing a bill that would invalidate all marriages under 16.

He told reporters Tuesday that foreign marriages involving minors aged 16-17 would also be dissolved unless there are “special reasons” such as a child being born to the couple or the girl being pregnant.

Maas didn’t say whether this would affect existing German law, which permits a 16-year-old to marry with parental consent.