In July 2014 it became a criminal offence to forced someone into marriage, but a Bristol-based charity says the law could be forcing victims to “go underground” rather than see their family charged. Following a Freedom of Information request to HM Courts and Tribunal Service it was revealed that there have been “fewer than five forced marriage protection […]

The Gazette asked the Ministry of Justice under Freedom of Information laws how many times this had happened at Teesside County Court . Their response was that there were 20 applications for these orders between January 2010 and September 2015 at the court on Russell Street in Middlesbrough. A total of six were granted. The […]

Around 1,000 British girls face harm from the ‘abhorrent’ practice of breast ironing, ministers have warned. In the brutal procedure, hot objects [stones, a hammer or a spatula] are used to pound and beat girls’ breasts to stop them growing in the belief it makes them less desirable and discourages premarital pregnancy. Breast ironing originated […]

Professionals are still concerned about tackling so-called honour-based violence because of “cultural sensitivities”, a Home Office Minister has admitted. Karen Bradley said “certain professionals” still do not have the confidence to question harmful child abuse happening in the UK. She raised the concerns during a House of Commons debate on breast ironing, a practice which […]

Everyone should have a choice in who they marry. That was the message at Azhar Academy Girls School, who arranged a forced marriage campaign to raise awareness of the issue. Guest speakers at the school in Romford Road, Forest Gate, included representatives from the government’s Forced Marriage Unit and the Sharan project, which helps vulnerable women […]

Syrian girls as young as nine are being forced to marry men double their age to escape war and poverty in their homeland. Pregnant mother-of-one Marwa, 15, was just 12 years old when she wed her husband, now 23, because her father could no longer afford to look after his large family. And Rukayya, who […]

A West Yorkshire Police boss will host a dedicated web chat discussing forced marriage. Mark Burns-Williamson, Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, is hosting the web chat to give members of the public the chance to talk about the issue. It will be held from 7pm to 8pm on Tuesday, March 22. Read more: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/people-in-leeds-urged-to-get-involved-in-forced-marriage-web-chat-1-7798876#ixzz435B0LevW

At 12 years old, Shaheen Hashmat left her family home in Scotland to escape the threat of forced marriage to a stranger in Pakistan. At 13, she attempted suicide. Hashmat, who now campaigns against forced marriage and “honour based” violence, says Britain urgently needs better mental health services for girls and women escaping these situations. […]

Figures showing that 1,220 possible cases of forced marriage in Britain were reported to the authorities last year may not reflect the full scale of abuse, the Home Office has said. The official figures show that the number of cases reported to the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) via its public helpline or email fell by 3%, […]