What could the file of the case of the minor forced into marriage in Mollerussa be hiding?

BarcelonaThe decision of a Judge in Navarre to dismiss case concerning the alleged sale of a 14-year-old girl The case of a girl being forced to marry a 21-year-old man from Mollerussa has shocked child protection organizations. They warn that child marriage is more common than it might seem at first glance, but that it often remains behind closed doors, leaving the child completely unprotected. Victims are often faced with the dilemma of reporting their parents and taking matters into their own hands, or accepting the arrangement to avoid further problems.

In the 11 years since its founding, the organization Valentes y Acompanyades has assisted approximately 500 young women who have been victims of forced marriage Or they want to separate from their assigned husbands and are not allowed to. According to the organization's director, Carme Vinyoles, this This figure is just the tip of the icebergShe asserts that there are many more "hidden" cases that leave affected minors and young women unprotected, isolated, and unable to make decisions about their own lives. Ona Lorda, Save the Children's child policy officer, also points out the difficulties in "identifying and detecting" these practices because there are no specific systems or trained personnel. "Forced marriages are a taboo, a type of gender-based violence that is difficult to detect," she states. In the case of the minor from Navarre, the duty judge justified dismissing the case by fully validating the girl's statement, in which she affirmed that she was in Les Borges Blanques with a family that was not her own of her own free will and not because her parents had sold her for 5,000 euros. The Navarre Regional Police. The court decision also resulted in the exoneration of the girl's parents, her alleged husband, and his parents, who have all been released. The girl has left the Almacelles foster care center where she was placed and returned to her family home in Navarre. Without going into details of this case, Vinyoles points out the "dilemma" that victims of forced marriages must face: "To confront, to say no to the family, or to comply," the activist explains. In forced unions, the woman's consent (most victims are women) is disregarded, and she goes from being under the guardianship of her family to that of a husband. However, in most cases involving minors, families usually agree to postpone cohabitation "until they are 16 or 18" to avoid raising suspicion and being prosecuted, says the director of Valentes y Acompanyades. Since 2015, the minimum age for marriage in Spain has been 16, with parental consent, and the same legislative reform also raised the age of consent from 14 to 16.

Coerced by fear

In this practice, more than consent, there is "coercion" exerted on the woman, who feels "fear, anguish, and insecurity about what will happen to her family or her own safety" if she resists, continues Vinyoles, who emphasizes the isolation of these women, since refusing means going against their fathers, uncles, and loved ones. For those who resist following paternal orders and decide to flee, they face incomprehension from the community or family, although, according to Vinyoles, relationships with mothers are often reestablished, and they even become aware of the imposition that was imposed upon them. "There are mothers who have come to admire their daughters and break free from group pressure," states the activist. For Lorda, "the cultural practice" of forced marriages "cannot be tolerated," and she reiterates the need to understand that it is another form of male violence, like sexual, physical, or psychological violence, and that these must be addressed. More tools to combat it with a "gender perspective".

The case began in Navarre, but it was the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) who spotted the minor begging outside a supermarket in Les Borges Blanques and took her to the shelter. Sources within the force point out that their investigations are always overseen by a judge, and when the judicial authority closes a case, even provisionally, they end their investigation if there are no pending cases. Similarly, they note that the Victim Support Group (GAV) monitors people at risk even if they haven't filed a report or have withdrawn it after doing so. In the case of minors, they can also refer their situations to social services for follow-up.

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Gratuïts i confidencials

Generalitat de Catalunya

Emergències

900 900 120 / 016

112

Mossos d’Esquadra

601 00 11 22

(WhatsApp)

Gratuïts i confidencials

Generalitat de Catalunya

Emergències

900 900 120 / 016

112

Mossos d’Esquadra

601 00 11 22

(WhatsApp)