Victims of forced marriage to receive lifelong anonymity
In 2015, the five countries most referenced in cases where a victim was at risk of being or had already been taken out of Britain in connection with a forced marriage were Pakistan (539 cases), Bangladesh (89), India (75), Somalia (34), and Afghanistan (21).
This article titled “Victims of forced marriage to receive lifelong anonymity” was written by Nadia Khomami, for The Guardian on Tuesday 7th June 2016 12.12 UTCVictims of forced marriages in England and Wales are to be given anonymity for life under amendments to the policing and crime bill.
The new government measure, modelled on the anonymity order introduced last year for victims of female genital mutilation (FGM), will apply to victims from the time an allegation of forced marriage is made.
It means any publication or broadcast of information likely to result in identification of a victim to the public will be prohibited in traditional print and broadcast media, as well as social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Such immediate identifying information includes names and photographs, and any other details that would likely result in identification of a victim.
Forced marriage is a criminal offence in England and Wales under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the relevant section of which came into force on 16 June 2014. The offence is defined as a marriage in which one or both spouses do not consent, and in which violence, threats or any other form of coercion is involved.
The legislation also criminalises breaches of a forced marriage protection order (FMPO), which can prevent a person from being taken overseas or order that they be returned to the UK. There is a maximum penalty of seven years for committing a forced marriage offence and five years for breaching an FMPO.
The UK’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) – a joint Foreign Office and Home Office unit set up in January 2005 to lead on the government’s forced marriage policy – gave advice or support related to a possible forced marriage in 1,220 cases in 2015 alone. This figure may not reflect the full scale of abuse, the Home Office said earlier this year.
The government has pledged £80m in funding up to 2020, to help deliver its goal to work with local commissioners for a secure future for FGM and forced marriage units, rape support centres and refuges.
Karen Bradley, the minister for preventing abuse, exploitation and crime, said: “Forced marriage is an abhorrent practice that can destroy lives. This government will not allow political or cultural sensitivities to get in the way of tackling it.
“It takes great courage for those subjected to this crime to speak out, especially as it is often committed by the very people they love and trust, and we need to do all we can to give them the support they need.
“Lifelong anonymity will give more victims the confidence to come forward and seek justice.”
The FMU has said that forced marriage is not a problem specific to one country or culture. In 2015, the five countries most referenced in cases where a victim was at risk of being or had already been taken out of Britain in connection with a forced marriage were Pakistan (539 cases), Bangladesh (89), India (75), Somalia (34), and Afghanistan (21).
Recently, the Guardian revealed that a boy as young as eight was among scores of children feared by judges to be at risk of forced marriage.
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