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A sixteen year old girl forced to marry despite having an order of court designed to protect her (29 May 2013)

Date: 29/05/2013
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, A sixteen year old girl forced to marry despite having an order of court designed to protect her

A 16 year old girl was allegedly forced to marry a man she had only met once despite being the subject of a court order designed to protect her from being married against her will.
The girl had gone to a police station just after her wedding reception in her pyjamas in a distressed state the court was told. Subsequently her mother and aunt were arrested for allegedly breaching a forced marriage protection order which had been issued in November.
The two appeared at Luton County Court on Tuesday.
The court heard that the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had first gone to Bedfordshire Police for help in 2012.
Counsel for the force, said she told officers that her family had threatened her with death after taking her to Pakistan if she refused to the marriage proposal. Her death would be shown as suicide back home she was told.
As a result, she was made the subject of a forced marriage protection order.
The order, backed by the power of arrest, banned the child’s marriage without permission of the court. It also prevented her from travelling abroad and banned her mother from arranging a marriage, or enlisting the help of someone else to arrange it.
The court heard that in March 2012, the child applied to have the order lifted so she could travel abroad to visit a sick relative. But the court had refused and his Honour Judge Sir Gavyn Arthur, presiding, said on that occasion, the court was not satisfied the child was making the application of her own free will. But in April the girl was wed at a Muslim ceremony, the court was told.
This was followed by a reception at a hotel the next month. It was attended “by between 550 and 1,000 guests”, counsel for the force said.
Criminal solicitor, representing the girl’s mother, said her client was "of good character" and strongly denied having anything to do with arranging the wedding.
Criminal solicitor for the aunt, sister of the girl’s mother, said her client was aware of the orders but not the terms of those orders and also denied any breach. Both women have been remanded in custody until May 31.
The Forced Marriage Act was introduced in November 2008 to protect young people who feared being forced into a marriage against their will.
The victim can apply for the order themselves or the police, friend or family member can also apply on their behalf. Anyone found to have breached a forced marriage protection order can be jailed for up to two years.

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