Norway already banned this summer with specific legislationlinks between first cousins and it is a path now pursued by its Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Denmark. According to the first media that published it, the English ‘Daily Mail’, the governments of both countries maintain that these marriages hide serious figures of domestic violence. The British newspaper’s investigation also points out that there is a specific risk that women married to first cousins face “oppression related to honor” in these marriages, which are often forced, agreed upon or compromised.
Both countries are following in the footsteps of their Scandinavian neighbor, Norway, which this summer introduced a ban on marriages between close relatives, including cousins, uncles or aunts and nephews or nieces. The Swedish Minister of Justice, Gunnar Strömmer, argued that marriages between cousins often entail a restriction of individual freedom.
Anne Kuttenkeuler, vice president of the Svea Court of Appeal, shared this perspective and added: “The material gathered suggests that marriages between cousins they are often arranged and that the decision about marriage falls primarily on a family or clan and not really on an individual choice.”
Statistics in Sweden show that between 140 and 150 people were married to their cousins, but a judge suggested that these numbers were not reliable and that the real number could be higher. “They are not reliable figures,” said the judge. “The contacts we have had with organizations that offer support and help to women who suffer oppression for reasons of honor indicate that this is quite common,” she said. Upon learning of these conclusions, the Swedish Government proposed a ban starting in July 2026.
Also the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, He said his government wants to eventually ban marriages between cousins. “You have to think about it carefully. “We know that marriages vary and that this has been the case throughout generations, even in our own country,” he said. «Now we face new challenges in our country. Some people have come from outside and use marriages to oppress,” said Frederiksen.
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