Zwangsheirat mitten in Deutschland: Annas & Sonjas Story

Forced marriage also exists in Germany – often remaining invisible. Official figures only show a fraction of the problem: According to police crime statistics, 68 cases were recorded nationwide in 2024 under Section 237 of the German Criminal Code. At the same time, counseling centers we researched for this documentary consistently reported an increase in inquiries. The "Violence Against Women" helpline provided approximately 214 consultations on this topic in 2024. Organizations like HennaMond in Cologne also report high numbers – they handled over 90 cases between January and February 2026. Reliable and up-to-date data is difficult to obtain. Even the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs still uses figures that are almost 20 years old. New studies are also attempting to better assess the extent of the problem. One such study is not yet complete, but already suggests that significantly more women in Germany may be affected by forced marriages than previously assumed. Legally, the situation is clear – but not without its limitations: In Germany, a marriage is only legally valid if it is registered with the civil registry office, and marriages under the age of 18 have been prohibited since 2017. Forced marriage is a criminal offense (§ 237 of the German Criminal Code) and can be punished with up to five years in prison. However, the law only covers legally valid marriages. So-called "social" marriages without a civil registry office, even in cases of severe coercion, often do not fall under this law, but can only be prosecuted as coercion (§ 240 of the German Criminal Code). This is one reason why the problem remains difficult to quantify statistically. In our film, we take a closer look: Why are young people married off? What role do tradition and religion play? And how can those affected find help? Forced marriage always means a loss of self-determination. It is often preceded by physical or psychological violence – and in over 90 percent of cases, women are affected. ________________________________ CHAPTER MARKERS 00:00 – 2:03: Anna was to be forced into marriage 2:03 – 3:30: Sonja flees – and is threatened with a weapon 3:30 – 5:30: Sonja on “the failure of the imams” 5:30 – 7:02: Anna: Why did the teachers look the other way? 7:02 – 9:55: Religion as justification? “We’re good at looking the other way” 9:55 – 12:13: Anna’s father becomes more violent – ​​and she reacts _________________________________ SOURCES AND MORE INFORMATION If you are currently afraid of being married, get help in your region: https://zwangsheirat.de/#Beratungsste... You can get anonymous, free support 365 days a year via the “Violence Against Women” helpline: 116 016 Here is a guide on how to better protect children and young people: https://www.bmbfsfj.bund.de/bmbfsfj/s... An estimate of forced marriages in Germany can be found here: https://www.dezim-institut.de/projekt... _________________________________ MUSIC BTS – Swim Céline x Paula Hartmann – 3 Seconds Billie Eilish – Everything I Wanted Tate McRae – You Broke Me First Taylor Swift – Eldest Daughter Tate McRae – Sign Tate McRae – Dear God Tate McRae – Siren Sounds Taylor Swift – False God _________________________________ TEAM Reporter: Bo Hyun Kim Authors: Bo Hyun Kim, Julia Minner Editors: Andreas Josef, Lisa Jülich Camera: Simon Baingo Editing: Ruben Kuwerts Graphics: Henri Katzenberg _________________________________ NOTE ACCESSIBILITY You can find the video description for greater accessibility regarding our film about #forcedmarriage in the second comment below the video. _________________________________ 👉 YEAH! We're also part of #funk. Check it out: YouTube:    / funkofficial   Instagram:   / funk   TikTok:   / funk   Website: https://go.funk.net We have a heart for critics, but not for haters: https://go.funk.net/netiquette #dieanderefrage is produced by the WDR newsroom for funk. funk is a joint offering of the German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF. http://Go.funk.net/impressum #Documentary #Reportage