PERTH, AUSTRALIA – Three men have been charged with organizing a forced marriage between two underage individuals in a case that marks a first in Western Australian history. The males who were brought before the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday are accused of compelling a boy aged 17 and a girl aged between 13 and 15 into wedlock, citing cultural obligations.
The charges state that the men, one related to the girl and the other two to the boy, allegedly facilitated a religious wedding ceremony for the duo last year. The victims, who hail from Western Australia, had reportedly shown interest in each other but were instructed by family members that they needed to be married before pursuing a relationship.
Australian Federal Police (AFP), who brought charges against the trio, asserted that this is Western Australia’s first occurrence of forced marriage charges. Forced marriages have been illegal in Australia since 2013.
In Australia, the legal marriage age is 18. However, children aged 16 and above can obtain court consent to wed. If convicted, the men who stand accused of forcing a person into marriage face up to nine years imprisonment. The case is scheduled to reconvene in August.
Forced marriage is legally recognized as forcing someone into matrimony without their full and free permission through means of coercion, threat, or deception. AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Chwal clarified that forced marriage isn’t restricted to any cultural group, religion, or ethnicity and can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation.
He also highlighted the complexity of these crimes, as family members routinely play dual roles as both victims and perpetrators. For individuals undergoing or at risk of forced marriage, the AFP recommends reaching out to the Australian Red Cross for information and confidential advice or contacting the AFP directly.