From 2014 to 2015, 729 underage couples registered for marriage in Israel, according to a report by the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee released on Monday. According to the report, out of the 729 cases reported, 466 of the marriages were performed illegally.

The Age of Marriage Law, legislated in the past by the Hadash parliamentary fraction, stipulates that any child, male or female, under the age of 18 may not marry without special permission that is granted by family court in exceptional cases. Any person involved in the facilitation of an illegal marriage between two minors could be subjected to up to two years in prison.

Government offices and police have turned a blind eye to this issue, charged the committee. There is an extreme inconsistency in the cases being reported by the various government institutions, according to the committee. In 2012, there were 90 cases of underage marriage reported, but police opened an investigation into only one case. In 2014, the Interior Ministry reported 416 cases of underage marriage, but only 37 of those cases were investigated. Police officials recommended six indictments be filed, but ultimately all of the cases were dropped by the state prosecutor. The committee expressed concern over the growing phenomena wherein many underage couples get married in private, illegal ceremonies, registering for marriage only once the couple reaches the age of 18 or following the birth of a child.

Joint List MK Aida Touma-Suleiman (Hadash) demanded that the parties responsible for conducting these marriages be punished and pay the price and stand as an example for others. “The data shows that this issue is not a priority in the system,” she said. “It is not a wedding, but the marriage of children. Marriage is a voluntary act by both parties – something that cannot be the case with children,” she added.