On July 1 this year, the penalties for honor-related crimes were tightened. This means, among other things, that social welfare boards can issue a travel ban if the assessment is that there is an acute risk that a child will be taken abroad to be genitally mutilated or married off.

The changes to the law regarding honor-related crimes are part of the agreement between the governing parties, the Center Party and the Liberals and mean, among other things, that courts must see honor-related motives as aggravating when making decisions in criminal matters, TT has previously reported.

11-year-old from western Sweden

An 11-year-old girl from a municipality in western Sweden is suspected of having been married off in Turkey. In a conversation with the social services, the girl told that her parents decided that she should move to Turkey, and that she will not have to go to school because that knowledge will not be needed when she marries and becomes a mother. She has also told that there was a man in Turkey who wanted to marry her.

Now the 11-year-old's case has become the first since the law was tightened. According to the Administrative Court's ruling in the case, it appears probable that a travel ban for the 11-year-old was necessary, and urgent. The court thus follows the Social Welfare Board's line and establishes the travel ban.

Large dark number

There are no exact figures on how many are married off each year. Last year, it is estimated that around 200 children have been taken out of Sweden, a dozen of them are suspected of having been divorced. Few police reports of forced marriage have led to court and even fewer lead to convictions.