Austria strengthens laws against forced child marriages affecting girls abroad

Austria is strengthening laws to combat forced marriages, with an estimated 200 girls as victims. The government will now annul marriages contracted abroad if one partner is under 18. The proposed legislation targets "summer holiday marriages" where minors are wed in their home countries during vacations. The new law ensures that such marriages are void in Austria if at least one partner resides there. This measure closes a legal loophole, preventing child marriages regardless of where they occur. Legal protections for children and spouses, including maintenance and custody rights, will be maintained even if a marriage is annulled.