Help with forced marriage, FGM or honour-based violence

Key rules

• Emergency: Call 112 if danger is immediate, and 016 for advice on forced marriage or honour-based violence.
• Minors: Fundación ANAR on 900 20 20 10 supports anyone under 18 at risk.
• Crimes abroad: Spanish courts can act on FGM and forced marriage even when they happen abroad.
• Reporting: Anyone can report a risk, including relatives, teachers, doctors and neighbours.
• Local rules: Protocols and shelter differ by region, so ask your local social services.

Who to contact first

If danger is immediate, call 112. For advice on forced marriage or honour-based violence, call 016. It is free, runs 24 hours a day and has interpreters in many languages. You can also reach the police on 091 or 062.

If the person at risk is a minor, Fundación ANAR on 900 20 20 10 supports children and teenagers.

What the law says

Both harms are crimes in Spain, and you do not need to be a citizen to be protected.

• Forced marriage. Forcing someone to marry by violence or serious intimidation carries 6 months to 3 years in prison or a fine. The sentence is higher if the victim is a minor or has a disability. Luring someone abroad to force them to marry is also a crime.
• FGM. It carries 6 to 12 years in prison. Spanish courts can act even if it happens abroad, when the girl lives in Spain.
• Minimum age to marry. It is 18.

Victims can ask a court for a protection order or a restraining order. They can also report to the police or the public prosecutor (the Fiscalía).

If a girl may be taken abroad

Spain has a prevention routine for families who may travel to a country where FGM is practised. Health or social services usually give the family information. The parents may be asked to sign a compromiso preventivo, which states that FGM is a crime in Spain, including abroad. The paediatrician often hands it over before the trip. The girl is checked after she returns.

If the risk is serious, health, school or social services tell the Fiscalía and the court. The court can ban the girl from leaving Spain, keep or withdraw her passport or ID, and have the family supervised. In extreme cases it can remove custody or place her in care.

Relatives, teachers, doctors and neighbours can all report a risk to the police, the Guardia Civil or the Fiscalía. Do it before the trip, not after. The wording and steps of the compromiso preventivo differ by region, so ask your health centre or social services what applies locally.

Specialist organisations

These groups give advice, support and sometimes legal help:

• Fundación Wassu-UAB, for FGM and other harmful practices
• Médicos del Mundo
• Save the Children
• Cruz Roja
• Women's Link Worldwide
• Fundación Cepaim
• Fundación Mujeres
• Fundación Amaranta
• Asociación Mujeres Juristas Themis

Shelter and local help

Regional social services and municipal women's centres provide shelter and advice. Some regions, such as Catalonia, Aragon, Navarra, Madrid, the Basque Country and Andalusia, have their own protocols for FGM. Ask your local social services what exists where you live.

Minors are protected by regional child-protection services. They can take a child into their care and arrange a safe placement.

Use the decision, documents, checklist and warnings below to plan your next step.

Choosing between options

What should you do when a girl may be taken abroad and is at risk of FGM or forced marriage?

• Ask for the preventive commitment: You are a parent or relative and the family plans a trip to a country where FGM is practised. Ask the paediatrician or health centre before you travel.

• Report the risk: You are a teacher, doctor, neighbour or relative and fear a girl will be cut or forced to marry. Tell the police, the Guardia Civil or the Fiscalía so the court can consider protective measures.

• Call for urgent help: The danger is immediate or the girl is about to be taken. Call 112, or 016 for advice.

If the danger is immediate, call 112. If a trip is planned and the family wants to prevent harm, use the preventive commitment. If someone else is putting the girl at risk, report it.

Documents you need

• Preventive commitment (compromiso preventivo): a document signed by the parents, usually handed over by the paediatrician or health services before a trip to a country where FGM is practised. In it they acknowledge that FGM is a crime in Spain, including when committed abroad.

Checklist

• Ask your local social services or municipal women's centre about shelter, advice and any regional protocol on forced marriage.

• Ask the paediatrician or health centre about the preventive commitment before a girl travels to a country where FGM is practised.

• Attend the check-up after the girl returns from the trip.

• Report a risk of FGM or forced marriage to the police, the Guardia Civil or the Fiscalía.

• Contact a specialist organisation such as Fundación Wassu-UAB, Médicos del Mundo or Save the Children for support and prevention help.

What to watch out for

• A trip abroad can lead to court measures: If a girl is thought to be at risk of FGM or forced marriage on a trip abroad, the court can ban her from leaving Spain, withdraw her passport or ID, or supervise the family. In extreme cases it can remove custody. If you are a parent, talk to your paediatrician or social services before booking, and keep the girl's documents safe.

• Both acts are crimes, including abroad: FGM carries 6 to 12 years in prison. Forcing someone to marry carries 6 months to 3 years, or a fine, with a heavier sentence if the victim is a minor or has a disability. Luring someone abroad to force a marriage is also punished. Seek help early: call 016, or 112 if the danger is immediate.

• Waiting can cost protection: A victim does not need to wait for harm to happen. Victims can ask the court for a protection order or restraining order and can report to the police or the Fiscalía. Report the risk as soon as you see it, or ask an NGO or social services to help you do so.

• Local help differs: Not every region has the same protocol or services. A phone call to a national line may not give you the local contact. Ask your local social services or health centre which protocol applies where you live.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum age to marry in Spain?

The minimum age to marry in Spain is 18, since the Civil Code reform of 2021. Before that, 16 and 17-year-olds could marry with emancipation or a dispensation. If a minor is being pushed into a marriage, child-protection services can step in.

Does Spanish law cover FGM or forced marriage if it happens abroad?

Yes, Spanish courts can deal with FGM and forced marriage even when they happen abroad, if the girl lives in Spain. Luring someone abroad to force them to marry is also a crime. This is why a planned trip can trigger protective steps before the family leaves.

Who can report a girl at risk of FGM?

Anyone can report a risk of FGM, including teachers, doctors and neighbours. Contact the police, the Guardia Civil or the Fiscalía (public prosecutor). Doctors must also report injuries to the court.

What happens if a girl is at serious risk before a trip?

If the risk is serious, health, school or social services notify the Fiscalía and the juvenile or family court. The court can then order protective measures, such as a ban on leaving Spain or withholding her passport. In extreme cases it can place the girl in care.