The abusive practice of forced marriage not only exists, but is thriving in the UK. In 2005, Government ministers, well aware of the scale of this problem, engaged in a three-month consultation period with a view to introducing legislation to curtail the practice. The police made their view abundantly clear that new law was required to ease the prosecutions of those aiding and abetting forced marriage. The Government thought it unnecessary to introduce a specific offence of forcing someone to marry. Prosecutions of the offence have therefore had to be shoehorned into a diverse range of offences such as harassment, trespass against the person, assault and abduction. The result has been confusion as to the law and hesitancy to arrest.
Reports in March 2008 shown to the Government by Bradford City Council detail the disappearance of school girls, en masse, from the education system in their district. This has prompted ministers to tackle this horrific practice robustly and decisively. Vernon Coaker MP, undersecretary for police and security, has this month opened the launch of the ‘Honour Network’. This is a national network for victims and survivors of honour-instigated violence and forced marriage. The Ministry of Justice has issued a consultation paper with a closing date of 24 April, 2008, seeking the input of professionals engaged in work with a forced marriage bent. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 (FMA), due to be implemented in autumn this year, is specifically tailored to address forced marriage cases. The stated aim of the Act is to provide the court with a widened discretion to deal more flexibly and sensitively with forced marriages.
