\n<\/p>\n
Even so, law enforcement officials told Ynet that community members claim that such events are \u201cengagement parties\u201d rather than wedding ceremonies, which complicates matters under the law.<\/p>\n
Israel Police<\/a> stopped the alleged wedding of a 14-year-old girl and a 41-year-old man from taking place in a home in Yavne’el, southwest of Tiberias, Israeli media reported on Thursday.<\/p>\n Earlier in the day, a screenshot of a notice describing the event as an “engagement party” between the two was posted to X\/Twitter.<\/p>\n However, footage of the police\u2019s raid on the home published on social media by Israeli public broadcaster KAN News showed a young girl in a wedding dress surrounded by what appears to be red petals.<\/p>\n The video also shows police discovering other religious wedding<\/a> paraphernalia hidden around the home, including the blessing said by a Jewish bride for the groom before the marriage ceremony, a ring, and a ketubah (Jewish marriage contract).<\/p>\n Even so, law enforcement officials told Ynet that community members claim that such events are \u201cengagement parties\u201d rather than wedding ceremonies, which complicates matters under the law.<\/p>\n At the same time, the police have opened investigations into the reports of another illegal wedding<\/a> of a young girl in the haredi<\/a> (ultra-Orthodox) community.<\/p>\n In many cases, investigations are opened only retroactively, once a wedding is suspected to have occurred, according to Ynet, which notes that even then, evidence is difficult to gather.<\/p>\n “Even when you arrive at the scene and see her in a wedding dress and he in a suit, it’s not enough,\u201d a police source shared with Ynet. \u201cWithout clear proof of marriage, we have no way to act.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have no documentation, no witnesses, and in the end, the couple themselves say they didn’t get married. Without solid evidence, these cases simply don’t hold up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWithout clear evidence, police cannot act<\/h3>\n