Police Investigate Secret Child Marriage Attempt in Haredi Community of Yavne'el

Israeli police are investigating a secret wedding planned for a 15-year-old girl in the Haredi community of Yavne'el. The girl was found late Monday night at her mother's home and denied having married. Her father, Yossi, who lives outside the closed community and is estranged from his children, alerted the police after discovering his daughter had been engaged and was supposed to marry the previous evening. Authorities searched the area near Yavne'el and confiscated phones belonging to wedding participants, but the attendees had fled, likely warned in advance.

A social worker was called to transfer the girl into her father's custody. Yossi criticized the state and police for their limited ability to intervene, emphasizing the systemic nature of underage marriages in the community. He revealed that a rabbinical court decision three years ago allowed his children to move to Yavne'el despite warnings that this would lead to early marriage. He described repeated failed attempts to address the issue legally and expressed frustration over the court's handling of the case.

Yossi learned about the planned wedding through a community member who alerted someone outside the community. He warned that if the marriage did not happen immediately, it would likely occur soon, as the community systematically arranges child marriages. Police have arrested several individuals involved in underage marriages in Yavne'el as part of ongoing efforts to combat this practice.