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Archive for September, 2013

Protest in Kerala over forced marriage of minor girl

Published: September 21st, 2013 Updated: September 20th, 2013

Thiruvananthpauram: The reported forced marriage of a minor Kerala girl, who was staying in an orphanage, to a visiting Arab has led to protests in the state, with the Democratic Youth Federation of India staging a siege of the social welfare office in Kozhikode. The news of the 17-year-old girl’s forced marriage has been in the limelight in the state over the past few days. The girl’s mother had earlier complained to the state human rights commission. The girl had stated that she had agreed to the marriage only because of coaxing by the orphanage authorities. The DYFI today demanded that the licence of the orphanage be cancelled based on the girl’s complaint.

The girl’s complaint mentioned that an Arab had married her in June at the orphanage, and sexually exploited her after taking her to some resorts in the state. The state human rights commission has directed the police and social welfare departments to submit a report immediately after conducting investigation into the matter.

Tags: forced marriage, forced marriage unit, halo project, haloproject, honour based violence, kidnap
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Kerala: minor forced to marry Saudi national, abandoned after honeymoon

Published: September 21st, 2013 Updated: September 20th, 2013

In yet another case of forcing a minor Muslim girl into wedlock with Arab nationals in Kerala, a 17-year-old girl has approached the Child Welfare Committee alleging that the orphanage authorities, where she had been staying, forced her to marry a man from Saudi Arabia. In her complaint to the committee on Friday, the girl had alleged that the orphanage authorities “pressurised” her to marry the man, who deserted her after honeymooning for 17 days and returned to his country. The Child Welfare Committee chairman in Malappuram, Sherrief Ullath, said according to the girl the marriage took place on June 13.

The orphanage authorities forced her to marry the Saudi national against her wishes. The Child Welfare Committee authorities said they have forwarded the girl’s complaint to the police, who has registered cases under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act-2006, the Juvenile Justice Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Tags: Asian, bride, child brides, child exploitation, halo project, haloproject, honour, violence
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Teenager ‘mentally ill’ after forced marriage and beatings by local goon

Published: September 21st, 2013 Updated: October 17th, 2022

The victim cannot even speak properly and bears marks of serious injuries on her head and different parts of body.

A 16-year-old girl has fallen mentally ill after being tortured by a local goon for refusing to settle down with him following a forced marriage. Masuma Akter cannot even speak properly and bears marks of serious injuries on her head and different parts of body. Currently she is going under treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where her two legs remain tied to the bed as she often loses control of her body. Masuma was a candidate for the HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) exam from Loahir Madrasa of Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj district. On June 24, Sajib Matubbor, 25, abducted her as she was walking to the madrasa from her home and he later forced her into marriage through intimidation, alleged Masuma’s family members. After a week, Sajib’s father made them get a divorce and sent Masuma back to her home, calling her a “bad girl,” they said.

One month later, Sajib went to Masuma’s house and told her to come back to him. When she refused, he beat her up badly. Learning of the incident, Masuma’s family sent her away from Gopalganj to stay with her uncle in Madaripur. Sajib found her there alone and after she again refused to accompany him, he hit her with bricks on the head, leaving her seriously injured.

Alerted by her cries for help, locals detained Sajib and handed him over to Madaripur police. Later, on September 1, Masuma’s father filed a case of “attempt to murder” with Madaripur Sadar police station and admitted Masuma to Faridpur sadar hospital. As her condition deteriorated, the doctors of Faridpur Hospital suggested her transfer to DMCH, where she was admitted on September 7 and remains under medication. While asked about the progress of the case, Sanjay Kumar, sub-inspector of Madaripur Sadar police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that Sajib was sent to jail and they would submit the charge sheet of the case shortly after completing some relevant investigation. Akmal Uddin, the father of the victim, however, claimed they were passing the days in fear as they suspected Sajib might come out of jail anytime.

Tags: abusive, forced marriage, halo project, haloproject, honour, kidnap, marriage
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India: Mum Forced Daughter to Marry HIV+ Man – Then Helped Him Rape Her

Published: September 20th, 2013 Updated: December 1st, 2021

The mother of a 16-year-old girl in Mumbai forced her to marry an HIV-positive man – and then helped him rape her repeatedly. According to the victim, from the suburban town of Kalwa, her mother began the abuse by blackmailing her into marriage and manipulating her age to ensure it was allowed. “After hearing talk of my marriage, I tried to escape from the house. But my mother chased me till the station and forced me to get off the train. She consumed phenyl to blackmail me into staying,” the victim told police.

“I was left with no option but to marry this guy, knowing full well that he was HIV-positive.” According to the girl’s statement, she was forced into having sex with the man as soon as the marriage was concluded. Her mother would pin her to the ground, tie her hands together and stuff her mouth with cloth to prevent her screaming. The pair allegedly beat the girl black and blue when she tried to resist the man as he continued to abuse her.

The teenager claims the man, a distant relative and long-time neighbour, had helped her family financially on a number of occasions and thus her indebted mother allowed him to marry and rape her.

Tags: forced, halo project, haloproject, honour based violence, rape, victims
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Schools needed for Shafilea pilot

Published: September 20th, 2013 Updated: December 1st, 2021

THE creator of a Shafilea Ahmed memorial page on Facebook is calling on schools in the town to be a pilot for an education initiative around forced marriage.

It is 10 years this month since the Great Sankey teenager was killed by her parents for wanting to live a western lifestyle. Alex, who lives near Cardiff, said he saw Shafilea’s story on the news and was so touched by it he decided to set up a group in her name on Facebook.

The 26-year-old claims the group has provided comfort for Shafilea’s sister Alesha and doubled its number of members following the murder trial last year. He added: “I felt a spark and connection when I saw the news stories and I’ve had so many people contact me through the memory page who have been touched by her case. “It’s been amazing the number of people from Warrington who have told me their memories and what they want to see for the future. “We have a 643 strong member community who are active in campaigning for greater awareness through education and this group has brought a lot of people together.

Tags: forced marriage, halo project, haloproject, honour, honour based violence
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Child marriage campaigners in south Asia receive $23m cash injection

Published: September 7th, 2013 Updated: November 16th, 2021

By the age of 17, Zeenat had been divorced three times after forced marriages. She first wed shortly after puberty to a man who abused her, an experience that recurred in her subsequent marriages.

She became so isolated that she did not go to the hospital or ask for help. Neither had she heard of India’s Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005, which made her husband’s violent outbursts not just wrong, but illegal. Sadly, her story is all too common. Every year about 10 million girls become child brides, and one in seven girls in the developing world marries before the age of 15. Bangladesh, Nepal and India have three of the highest rates of child marriage, with 68.7%, 56.1% and 50% respectively of girls married before the age of 18. Child marriage is not just a question of poverty – although that is a critical issue – but also of how girls are viewed in society.

“Even with higher levels of income, there is the practice of child marriage,” said Care International’s gender director, Theresa Hwang. “It is an issue of status; girls are valued in a lesser way. In India, girls are not seen as ‘added value’. The issue is squarely tied to gender equality and social norms.” Care USA, the US arm of the anti-poverty NGO, and the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) this week received grants of $7.7m (£4.9m) and $15.3m respectively from the Kendeda fund to tackle child marriage in south Asia. Both organisations will use the money to support local NGOs.

Founded 10 years ago, the Kendeda fund worked initially on environmental sustainability in the US, but last year created a girls’ rights portfolio. AJWS will focus on India, Care on Nepal and Bangladesh.

Tags: Asian, attacks, bride, child brides, child exploitation, cultural stereotypes, halo project, marriage, victims, violence
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Girl says mother forced her to marry HIV+ man, helped him rape her

Published: September 7th, 2013 Updated: December 1st, 2021

Mumbai: In a shocking case of abuse, a 16-year-old student from a Thane college was forcibly married off to an HIV+ patient by her mother based in Kalwa, Mumbai, police said. Cops said the mother would bind her hands and stuff a piece of cloth into her mouth to allow the husband to rape her. If she resisted, she would be battered by the duo, they added.

“On many occasions I was beaten with bamboo sticks. When I still refused to give up, my mother forced me to have cold drinks laced with sedatives so that he could rape me,” the girl said in her statement to Childline NGO. According to the police, the matter came to light when the victim approached the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) through a former teacher. Based on her statement to the CWC committee, the panel asked the Kalwa police to register an FIR. As per the victim’s statement to the police and the panel, the accused who is in his early 30s, is a distant kin of the family and had been staying in their neighbourhood for several years. The girl alleged that he would support the family financially and had been paying for her education.

Dragged back home
On May 23, the accused allegedly put forth a marriage proposal and the victim’s indebted mother could not resist.The girl said, despite her protests, she was forced to marry the accused. Her age was allegedly manipulated and the ceremony took place at a temple in south Mumbai, she added. “After hearing talk of my marriage, I tried to escape from the house. But my mother chased me till the station and forced me to get off the train. She consumed phenyl to blackmail me into staying. I was left with no option but to marry this guy, knowing full well that he was HIV-positive,” the victim stated.

The girl said she was forced into a physical relationship with the accused after marriage. She added that if she refused, her mother would pin her down and muzzle her while the accused forced himself on her. She was allegedly beaten black and blue by them. At times, he’d lock her up in the room.

Tags: child brides, forced marriage, halo project, haloproject, honour, marriage, victims
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Forced Pakistani Marriage Leads To Arrests

Published: September 6th, 2013 Updated: September 6th, 2013

SWAT, Pakistan — Police in northwestern Pakistan’s Swat district have arrested seven men for attempting to force a 16-year-old girl into marriage to settle a family dispute. Those arrested include the girl’s father, the prospective groom and his father, and four tribal elders who allegedly brokered the deal. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.

The case in the village of Shah Dherai was brought to the attention of authorities by the girl’s brother after she attempted to commit suicide rather than go through with the marriage. SWAT, Pakistan — Police in northwestern Pakistan’s Swat district have arrested seven men for attempting to force a 16-year-old girl into marriage to settle a family dispute. Those arrested include the girl’s father, the prospective groom and his father, and four tribal elders who allegedly brokered the deal. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.

The case in the village of Shah Dherai was brought to the attention of authorities by the girl’s brother after she attempted to commit suicide rather than go through with the marriage.

Source: RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal

Tags: forced marriage, forced marriage unit, halo project, haloproject, honour based violence
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National helpline to discourage forced marriages in UK

Published: September 6th, 2013 Updated: September 6th, 2013

A national help line on the issue has been launched by the forced marriage unit at Home Office London in order to discourage the menace of the issue of forced marriages through civil legislature and with the coordination of the civil society. This was disclosed here yesterday by Ms. Victoria White, the visiting Caseworker of the British Foreign & Common Wealth office in London while addressing a news conference here on Tuesday during her day-long official trip to this city of over a million Britain-based Kashmiri expatriates.

The British diplomat was accompanied by Albert David, Consular Operations in the British High Commission and Mrs. Neelam Farooq, head of Consular Operations, British High CommissionIslamabad and other two-member official team of the experts from the BHC. She pointed out least 47 percent of the total of 1500 cases of forced marriages from various countries, registered with the Forced Marriage Unit of the British Home office in London, belong to Pakistan, mostly Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

Tags: FMU, forced, forced marriage, halo project, haloproject, honour
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Archive for September, 2013

Protest in Kerala over forced marriage of minor girl

Kerala: minor forced to marry Saudi national, abandoned after honeymoon

Teenager ‘mentally ill’ after forced marriage and beatings by local goon

The victim cannot even speak properly and bears marks of serious injuries on her head and different parts of body.

India: Mum Forced Daughter to Marry HIV+ Man – Then Helped Him Rape Her

Schools needed for Shafilea pilot

Child marriage campaigners in south Asia receive $23m cash injection

Girl says mother forced her to marry HIV+ man, helped him rape her

Forced Pakistani Marriage Leads To Arrests

National helpline to discourage forced marriages in UK

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The victim cannot even speak properly and bears marks of serious injuries on her head and different parts of body.

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