Forced marriage becomes criminal offence
Forcing someone into marriage will carry a seven year jail sentence from Monday. But some campaigners fear it will stop victims coming forward, for fear that their relatives will be jailed.
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‘Victims will be very reluctant to take action’
The home secretary has teamed up with the anti-child marriage charity Freedom, police, the Crown Prosecution Service and a victim of the practice in a new online video for the #Freedom2Choose campaign, explaining why forced marriage has been criminalised.
However the charity Henna Foundation said it could have the opposite effect that is intended: “David Cameron was hell bent on making this a criminal offence but we’re not sure how it will help,” Shereen Williams told the Telegraph. “Victims will be very reluctant to take action that could lead to the imprisonment of their parents or other family members.”
But Freedom founder Aneeta Prem welcomed the new legislation. She said: “In the most tragic cases, people forced into marriage become domestic slaves by day and sexual slaves by night.
“Today’s announcement sends out a powerful message that this indefensible abuse of human rights will be not be tolerated. Everyone should have the freedom to choose.”
The Home Office said that the FMU gave advice or support related to a possible forced marriage to more than 1,300 people in 2013. As well as outlawing the practice, breaching a civil Forced Marriage Protection Order (FMPO) will be punishable by five years in prison.
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