Conviction sets ‘huge precedent’

GUILTY FORCED MARRIAGE VERDICT WILL HELP GIRLS SPEAK OUT: CAMPAIGNERS

CAMPAIGNERS welcomed last week’s landmark conviction re­lating to forced marriage, saying it sent a strong message to families planning to coerce their daugh­ters into marriage, and would empower girls to speak out.

In the first successful prosecu­tion of its kind in Britain, a moth­er who duped her daughter into travelling to Pakistan to enter a forced marriage was sentenced last Wednesday (23) to four-and-a-half years in prison.

The woman was found guilty last Tuesday (22) following a trial at Birmingham crown court, where a jury heard how the girl sobbed as she was wedded to a male relative 16 years her senior.

“You had cruelly deceived her. She was frightened, alone, held against her will, being forced into a marriage she dreaded,” said Judge Patrick Thomas QC in sentencing.

“You have sought to blame her for everything, and have accept­ed responsibility for nothing.”

The girl was forced to marry the same man who had taken her virginity and left her pregnant on an earlier trip to Pakistan. Then aged 13, she underwent an abor­tion on returning to Britain.

Concerns over the girl’s welfare were allayed by her mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her daughter. She said the pregnancy was a result of “two teenagers who had sneakily had sex”, according to prosecutors.

Jurors heard how as the girl ap­proached her 18th birthday she was tricked by her mother into returning to Pakistan on what she was told would be a family holiday.

The couple were then married in September 2016 despite objections from the girl, before she was re­turned to Britain with the assistance of the Home Office. Her mother was arrested in January 2017.

She was convicted of deceiving a victim into travelling abroad to enter into a false marriage - the first conviction of its kind - as well as other forced marriage and per­jury charges.

It was found the defendant had lied about the incident in Brit­ain’s high court, where she was summonsed when concerns were raised by authorities.

“Forcing someone into mar­riage against their wishes is a crim­inal offence, and a breach of their human rights,” said Elaine Radway of the Crown Prosecution Service.

“It is thanks to the brave testi­mony of the victim that this seri­ous offending was uncovered and that there was sufficient evidence to secure the conviction today.”

Detective superintendent Sally Holmes of West Midlands Police praised the victim’s “extraordi­nary” bravery. “Anyone who is considering marrying a person against their will must understand that we will thoroughly investigate any such offences, wherever they take place in the world,” she said.

Karma Nirvana, a charity sup­porting forced marriage victims, hailed the verdict as “very signifi­cant”. “It sets a massive precedent,” said Natasha Rattu, a lawyer at Kar­ma Nirvana. “If you are not pros­ecuting anybody under the law it will not have any deterrent effect.”

The government’s Forced Mar­riage Unit received reports of nearly 2,000 possible cases last year, many involving girls from south Asian backgrounds. But campaigners say the figure is just the tip of the iceberg.

The new offence of forced mar­riage came into effect in June 2014, but prosecutions have been rare.

However the Forced Marriage Unit – a joint effort by the foreign office and Home Office – provided support to about 1,200 potential cases in 2017, a spokesman said, making Britain a “world leader” in tackling the problem. (Agencies)