I’m really pleased that forced marriages are to be made a criminal offence. While I agree that education is an important element in reducing this abusive practice, the change in the law will send a very clear message. Of course, this is one of those occasions when one hopes that the law will never have to be invoked, and that those who might want to enforce a marriage will either be discouraged, or friends or family members will feel empowered to take action before the event.
Part of the problem is the removal of young people to Pakistan on the pretext of a holiday, and I hope that the authorities in both countries will co-operate to help stop forced marriages.
While we can’t ever be complacent, the practice is at a relatively low level as far as it relates to children and young people; in 2008 I gave evidence for ADCS to the Home Affairs Select Committee based on a national survey, partly to counter some over-blown extrapolations from a small local survey.
But it does happen – I can recall being told about two cases in my own local authority, one where a young person was removed from a plane at Heathrow, and one where a young person with learning disabilities in foster care just disappeared, and was found to have gone to Pakistan ‘willingly’.
We can’t be too careful, and the new legislation is welcome.
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