Government targets forced marriages

Increased punishment and the expulsion of imams among the efforts aimed at curbing forced religious marriages

Updated: 28/11/2012, 13:16. After government's final announcement some of the facts have been changed. The headline was also changed to reflect that the government was targeting forced marriages, not simply religious Muslim marriages.

TV2 News reported this evening that the government will announce a package tomorrow aimed at curbing forced Muslim marriages.

The legislation will make it easier to expel imams who carry out forced religious marriages, and increase the maximum sentence to four years for those found guilty of forcing others to marry.

TV2 News interviewed a Danish citizen of Moroccan decent, 'Sarah', who revealed how she had been taken to Morocco at the age of 15 and forced to marry her cousin.

"I was totally dead during that period; I wasn't myself," Sarah told TV2, adding that she was forced to engage in intercourse with her new husband on their wedding night. "My aunt told me that the guests would not go home until they saw blood on the sheets." 

Sarah, however, warned against associating forced marriages with Islam, saying: "In Islam, it says in black and white that one must not force a person to marry another."

Still, her experience is one of the reasons the government is pushing for tougher legislation. 

"Everyone should have the same rights when they live in Denmark, regardless of whether they have Muslim parents," the social affairs and integration minister, Karen Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne), told TV2 News. "Everyone should have the same rights to freedom, and that is what we want to help people achieve."

PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt foreshadowed the proposal during her opening speech to parliament in October, saying that the government would increase punishments for forced marriages to "show young people that we are on their side". 

Although it was reported earlier this year that there had not been a single conviction for forced marriages since the former Venstre-Konservative government increased the punishment in 2008, LOKK, the association of women’s crisis centres, said that the number of women seeking help – either because of a pending forced marriage or the threat of one – rose six-fold between 2005 and 2010 from 101 women to 660.

A representative for the Dansk Islamisk Center told TV2 that his organisation welcomed the government's proposal. 

TOP STORIES

  • Nørrebro: A battle between identities

    Nørrebro: A battle between identities

    Nørrebro is a cornerstone of the city of Copenhagen. However, while it continues to be a popular hang out spot for young and old alike, the neighborhood is in the middle of a transformation from the old working class population, to a younger and more economically stable clientele. This fact raises concern among native Nørrebro-citizens.

  • Copenhagen celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a grand 20th anniversary parade

    Copenhagen celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a grand 20th anniversary parade

    The Irish Culture Association Denmark (ICAD) is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Copenhagen on March 16, 2025, with a parade marking its 20th anniversary. Supported by the Irish Embassy, the event will feature Irish music, dance, sports, and cultural displays, bringing the spirit of Ireland to Denmark.

  • Trump: Greenlandic annexation “will happen.” Greenlandic PM: “Enough is enough”

    Trump: Greenlandic annexation “will happen.” Greenlandic PM: “Enough is enough”

    Yesterday, the President of the United States made some of the strongest statements about Greenland he has ever made during the press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

  • Copenhagen revisited through memoir poetry

    Copenhagen revisited through memoir poetry

    Not all students feel like reading Danish poetry after a meeting at a language school with writer and poet Henrik Palle. Yet, a portrayal of Copenhagen as the city once was and the impressions of what the city is today give a deeper impression of the Danes

  • A book to make Danish idioms easier to understand

    A book to make Danish idioms easier to understand

    It’s difficult to learn Danish, especially with idioms that have figurative meanings. It highlights Christiane Bjørg Nielsen’s book, See What You Say, which serves as a visual guide to understanding these idiomatic expressions in Danish.

  • Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Copenhagen Capacity has launched a survey for all internationals living in Denmark to find out if they are happy here and what challenges they face. The Copenhagen Post is the media partner for this initiative. You can find the survey below in the article.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen is ranked as the fourth-best city in the world for career growth, according to an analysis by EnjoyTravel. This ranking considers various factors such as living costs, salary levels, workforce availability, and overall quality of life. Copenhagen is noted for its blend of historical and modern elements, particularly in the green energy sector, which influences job opportunities.

  • Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    A study reveals how only the massive influx of non-Western immigrants has saved many areas in Denmark from a decline in the workforce and a consequently shrinking economy

  • Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    An analysis from the Labour Movement’s Business Council shows that the rate in long-term unemployment for non-Western immigrants is 1.8 times higher than for Danes. In other words, a chronic unemployment situation is way more probable for non-Western internationals.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs