A boom in the illegal marriages is a byproduct of voluminous immigration by Muslims. Authorities largely ignore the unions, leaving the women in a murky world with no recourse when things go wrong.
Despite the obvious culture clash, Italian authorities largely turn a blind eye, leaving women with few rights and no recourse when things go especially badly.
Italian law sanctions marriage between a single man and a single woman only. Estimates say there are 14,000 polygamous families in Italy.