DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: CHILD MARRIAGE -- CORRECTED

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001834

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR G/IWI (KHADIAGALA),WHA/CAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: CHILD MARRIAGE -- CORRECTED
VERSION

REF: STATE 36341


1. The following is Embassy Santo Domingo's response to
reftel.


A. According to the Dominican Civil Code and associated
legislation, both boys and girls can marry freely at the age
of 18. Boys can marry at age 16 and and girls can marry at
age 15 with the consent of the child's parents, surviving
parent, or guardian. Boys under the age of 16 and girls
under the age of 15 cannot marry, except that adolescents
(children who have reached the age of 13) may marry with the
permission of a judge from the Tribunal of Children and
Adolescents . In practice, very few children solicit
permission to marry from a judge, although no official
statistics are available.


B. There are no statistics on underage marriage in the
Dominican Republic. The National Council for Adolescents and
Children (CONANI) believes that a small number of underaged
children may live with partners in rural areas (most likely
with the consent of their parents),but they are prohibited
from marrying because they cannot meet the legal
requirements.


C. There are no U.S.-funded initiatives in the Dominican
Republic to address child marriage.
HERTELL