Category: forced marriages

‘My father performed exorcisms and tried to push me into forced marriage after discovering I was gay’ – The Independent

Posted May 26th, 2023 in families, forced marriages, homosexuality, news by tracey

‘A young woman has told how she was pushed towards a forced marriage and choked unconscious by her father who performed “exorcisms” in a bid to rid of demons after her family found out she was gay. The harrowing case is one of many incidents examined in new research that found forced marriage remains “rife” in England and Wales but the number of people coming forward to alert authorities has plummeted in recent years.’

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The Independent, 25th May 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Welsh teen forced to take virginity test before marriage – BBC News

Posted April 25th, 2023 in forced marriages, news, Wales, young persons by sally

‘It wasn’t just being forced to marry that Farah was against, she also didn’t want the test to show she was a virgin.’

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BBC News, 25th April 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Somaiya Begum: Uncle guilty of killing niece who refused marriage – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2023 in families, forced marriages, murder, news by sally

‘A man has been found guilty of murdering his 20-year-old niece after she refused a forced marriage.’

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BBC News, 14th March 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Minimum marriage age rises to 18 in England and Wales – BBC News

Posted February 27th, 2023 in children, civil partnerships, forced marriages, marriage, news, young persons by sally

‘A new law increasing the legal age of marriage to 18 has come into force in England and Wales.’

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BBC News, 27th February 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

So-called honour-based abuse inquiry launched – Family Law

Posted November 25th, 2022 in domestic violence, families, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, murder, news, statistics, victims, women by tracey

‘The Women and Equalities Committee launch an inquiry into so-called honour-based abuse, as part of its work on preventing violence against women and girls.’

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Family Law, 21st November 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘Honour killings? It should be called the devil’s work’: Bekhal Mahmod on the murder of her sister – The Guardian

Posted June 23rd, 2022 in domestic violence, families, forced marriages, murder, news by sally

‘After Banaz Mahmod was killed by her father, uncle and three other men in 2006, it was her sister’s testimony that helped bring them to justice. Before the release of her memoir she tells of her rage at what happened and why she is still living in hiding.’

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The Guardian, 22nd June 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 – Law & Religion UK

Posted May 11th, 2022 in age of consent, children, civil partnerships, criminal justice, forced marriages, marriage, news by sally

‘The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (‘2022 Act’), originally a private Member’s bill introduced by Sajid Javid and Pauline Latham, has now become law. The Act will be brought into effect by Regulations, which are pending. The headline is that the Act will amend the Marriage Act 1949 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004 to raise the minimum age at which people can enter into a marriage or civil partnership in England and Wales from sixteen to eighteen. This brief post will focus, however, on exploring the new criminal offence the statute creates and the three implications of the legislation that remain unresolved.’

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Law & Religion UK, 10th May 2022

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Boost for public safety as four justice bills receive Royal Assent – Ministry of Justice

Posted April 29th, 2022 in age of consent, bills, criminal justice, domestic violence, drug abuse, forced marriages, government departments, investigatory powers, judicial review, marriage, Ministry of Justice, news, police, probation, recidivists by tracey

‘The government delivers on its pledge to protect the public better and restore confidence in the criminal justice system as four major bills became law today (28 April).’

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Ministry of Justice, 28th April 2022

Source: www.gov.uk

Recent case highlights need for law reform in forced/predatory marriage – Family Law

Posted January 24th, 2022 in elderly, families, family courts, forced marriages, marriage, mental health, news by tracey

‘Predatory or forced marriages faced by individuals (usually elderly) whose mental capacity is in doubt or who are vulnerable to undue influence remain an open wound for many families.’

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Family Law, 12th January 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Research Briefing: Commons Library analysis of Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill 2021-22 – House of Commons Library

Posted November 18th, 2021 in age of consent, bills, children, civil partnerships, forced marriages, marriage, news by tracey

‘This Commons Library briefing paper deals with the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill, a Private Member’s Bill which is due to have its Second Reading on 19 November 2021.’

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House of Commons Library, 17th November 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Parliament to vote on bill to ban child marriage in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted November 17th, 2021 in bills, children, civil partnerships, domestic violence, forced marriages, marriage, news, sexual offences, statistics, young persons by sally

‘A bill that would ban child marriage in England and Wales will be presented to parliament for its second reading this week and has been welcomed by campaigners as a “huge stride” forward.’

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The Guardian, 16th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Does the law on predatory marriage need to change? – Family Law

Posted November 8th, 2021 in consent, families, forced marriages, fraud, intestacy, marriage, news, wills by tracey

‘In recent years there have been calls for a change in the law to protect vulnerable adults from falling victim to what has become known as “predatory marriage”. This is due to a rise in cases where fraudsters have married vulnerable and often elderly individuals, without the knowledge of their loved ones, and are then able to access the new spouse’s lifetime savings and inherit their entire estate under the intestacy rules, as marriage automatically revokes any previous Will a person may have made.’

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Family Law, 5th November 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

‘Honour-based’ offences soared by 81% in last five years – The Guardian

Posted November 1st, 2021 in domestic violence, families, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, news, rape, sexual offences, statistics, victims by tracey

‘The number of “honour-based” abuse (HBA) offences recorded by English police forces has soared over the past five years, figures suggest. According to data from the 28 out of 39 constabularies that responded to freedom of information (FoI) requests, the number of HBA cases – including offences such as rape, death threats and assault – rose from 884 in 2016 to 1,599 last year, a rise of 81%.’

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The Guardian, 31st October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government’s ‘virginity test’ ban is ‘false victory’ as it does not prohibit hymen surgery, campaigners warn – The Independent

Posted August 16th, 2021 in bills, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, news by tracey

‘The government’s decision to ban so-called virginity tests is a “false victory” as it does not prohibit hymenoplasty surgery, experts have warned.’

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The Independent, 15th August 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Child marriage ‘thriving in UK’ due to legal loophole, warn rights groups – The Guardian

Posted May 5th, 2021 in children, forced marriages, marriage, news, young persons by sally

‘A legal loophole that allows 16- and 17-year-olds in England and Wales to marry with parental consent is being exploited and used to coerce young people into child marriage, campaigners have warned.’

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The Guardian, 4th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fears honour-based abuse could go undetected due to ‘short-sighted’ government plans to scrap term – The Independent

Posted January 7th, 2021 in coercive & controlling behaviour, crime, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, news, police, statistics, victims by tracey

‘Ministers are considering dropping references to honour-based abuse in the recording of crimes such as forced marriage, coercive control and female genital mutilation, raising concerns offences could go undetected.’

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The Independent, 6th January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police accused of not taking honour-based abuse seriously as figures reveal 64% fall in recorded offences – The Independent

Posted December 17th, 2020 in attempted murder, coercive & controlling behaviour, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, murder, news, police, statistics, threatening behaviour, victims by tracey

‘Police have been accused of not taking honour-based abuse seriously as new figures reveal a 64 per cent fall in the number of offences recorded.’

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The Independent, 17th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Back bill to ban marriage for under-18 in England and Wales, MPs urged – The Guardian

Posted October 6th, 2020 in bills, children, civil partnerships, consent, forced marriages, marriage, news by tracey

‘The UK is undermining its international efforts to end child marriage because an exception to the law in England and Wales that allows 16 and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent is putting children at risk, parliament will be told today.’

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The Guardian, 6th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Banaz Mahmod murder: ‘What they did was unforgivable’ – BBC News

Posted October 1st, 2020 in domestic violence, families, forced marriages, murder, news, young persons by sally

‘Banaz Mahmod was 20-years-old when she was murdered by her uncle and father after they said she had shamed their family.’

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BBC News, 30th September 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘She won’t be the last’: why not enough has changed since the murder of Banaz Mahmod – The Guardian

Posted September 22nd, 2020 in domestic violence, families, forced marriages, murder, news, police, young persons by sally

‘In 2006, the 20-year-old was killed on the orders of family members. Ahead of an ITV drama on the case, her sister reflects on the police response.’

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The Guardian, 21st September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com