Justice Minister Beatrice Ask
Photo: Swedish Government

Sweden’s Justice Minister Beatrice Ask has proposed a new law against forced marriages that could come into effect this summer, news agency TT reports.”This law will make a difference”

The new law would make it illegal for parents and other relatives to force a young person to marry. It would also make it punishable to aid or encourage forced marriages. The maximum sentence is currently set to four years.

Beatrice Ask announced the bill on Sunday at a memorial service for Fadime Sahindal, a woman who was murdered twelve years ago on Tuesday by her father because she refused an arranged marriage.

“This is an important bill. Not only to stop forced marriages but also to let these young people know that they can make their own decisions,” Beatrice Ask said to TT.

Anti Avsan is a conservative Moderate MP and member of the justice committee, and he was also responsible for a conference taking place on Monday looking at so-called honour crimes.

He told Radio Sweden that the new law will make a difference. He said:”It will make a difference because the current laws are not enough and this makes it a new crime to try and force someone into marriage and you cannot take people to another country to force an arranged marriage against someone’s will.”

Source: Swedish Radio International