Secret NSW child marriages spike to 117 cases since 2018

Fourteen children in New South Wales have reportedly been forced into marriage as new data exposes what authorities say is a hidden and deeply underreported crime.

Reports to the child protection hotline have almost doubled in the last financial year, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

There are reports that unofficial ceremonies are being conducted by Islamic clerics in suburban backyards beyond the reach of authorities.

Since 2018, New South Wales has seen 117 cases reported, but experts warn many more go undetected.