For most young people, turning 18 is one of the most significant moments and one to celebrate. But for one school girl from Nottinghamshire, this was set to be the darkest day of her life. The girl, aged 17 at the time, had been told by her parents that she would be forced into marrying a […]

Women seeking medical help for anxiety should be asked if they are suffering domestic abuse, an inquiry into the murder of a pharmacist has found. Mitesh Patel strangled his wife Jessica in a staged break-in at their home in Middlesbrough in May 2018 as part of a plot to move abroad with his gay lover. A domestic homicide […]

CAMPAIGNERS warned today of a possible spike in forced marriages as Britain eases lockdown restrictions and lifts quarantine rules. Charities point to an increase in victims reaching out to them and have warned that parents could now be planning to take children abroad for weddings against their will as soon as laws on self-isolating for […]

*Please note: She was fearful of a ‘forced marriage’ not an arranged marriage as that would involve consent willingly* A schoolgirl who feared being forced into an arranged marriage was assaulted by her father and brother for having a secret mobile and a Facebook account. The 15-year-old was whipped with an electrical cable, hit with […]

Doctors say at least ten victims of female genital mutilation were seen by NHS services in the surrounding areas of Bradford at the start of the year. The National FGM Centre warned the risk to children and young people may have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, with school closures reducing contact with teachers and health professionals. Roughly 10 victims of […]

A man has been accused of tricking his daughters into undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM) after telling them the doctor was visiting for coronavirus vaccinations. Authorities in Egypt have said they will prosecute the father of the three girls – all minors – who have claimed they were misled into having the procedure. The children were expecting to be […]

The brutal alleged murder of a 14-year-old girl at the hands of her father has led to a call from Iran’s president to speed up laws punishing so-called honour killings.  Romina Ashrafi, from the Iranian town of Talesh, was reportedly beheaded while sleeping by her father Reza Ashrafi, who is accused of using a farming […]

Religious leaders have warned that domestic abuse victims in their communities face the greatest obstacles to getting help, and raised fears that the coronavirus lockdown was causing such violence to soar. Figures from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities said they had heard reports of abuse in the home ranging from psychological and physical violence to spiritual abuse […]

Girls at risk of child marriage are falling under the radar of authorities in England and Wales because of a lack of record-keeping by more than half of the departments responsible for children’s social care, a charity has warned. IKWRO women’s rights organisationsays it is preparing for a spike in cases following the easing of lockdown […]