The Swedish Government has said it planned to criminalise virginity checks, virginity certificates and virginity interventions.
The Conservative administration has also proposed that failure to disclose forced and child marriages be criminalised.
The planned moves aimed to strengthen the protection of girls and women who lived in a so-called “honour context”, it said.
“Honour norms limit the freedom and life chances of girls and women, but also boys and men. It is often about power and control. And for those who try to defy control, the consequences can be devastating – in the worst case, fatal,” Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer said.
“By criminalising these serious abuses, we are strengthening the protection of the personal integrity of girls and women who live in an honour context in a very concrete way.
“A woman’s right to decide over her own body and sexuality is a fundamental human right. Violating it is unacceptable and it is therefore extremely important that the protection of these rights is now strengthened,” he said.
Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life, Nina Larsson, added: “Virginity checks and virginity procedures must stop.”
In recent years, the number of virginity checks in Sweden has reportedly increased, particularly within certain immigrant communities where honour-related cultural norms — often linked to Islamic traditions from the Middle East and North Africa — have remained influential.
These tests have been frequently requested by strongly religious families, despite being medically unfounded and illegal in Sweden since 2022.
Examinations of a woman’s virginity may take place ahead of marriage and conducted by accommodating healthcare professionals, relatives, religious leaders, or other individuals with authority or influence within their communities.
They occurred both within healthcare settings and in private spheres. In some cases, girls and women residing in Sweden have been subjected to virginity checks or procedures while abroad.
Mainstream medical professionals have long maintained that it was impossible to determine, through physical examination, whether a girl or woman had engaged in sexual intercourse.
Nevertheless, the possible results of such “investigations” can be severe, ranging from social ostracism to physical punishment and honour-based violence.
Under the proposed legislation, performing a virginity check or procedure could carry a penalty of up to one year’s imprisonment. Issuing a certificate of sexual “innocence” would be punishable by either a fine or up to six months in jail.
The government also proposed to tighten child-marriage legislation by criminalising a failure to report knowledge of an impending forced or underage marriage — potentially implicating wedding guests or other bystanders who remained silent.
The ruling coalition parties argued that a conviction should be possible even where the girl or woman appeared to have given consent. They cited the high likelihood that such consent may be given under pressure or fear of the consequences of refusal to do so.
Authorities noted that such honour-based crimes were often veiled in silence, making them particularly difficult to detect and address.
Sweden’s Government said it aimed for the legislative amendments to come into force on 1 December 2025.
