Maximum Penalty Of Seven Years Imprisonment Introduced

The Government has introduced new legislation today (June 16th) which has formally made marrying someone against their will a criminal offence.

Designed primarily to help people in England and Wales, the law also applies to UK nationals overseas who could be at risk of becoming a victim of forced marriage.

The maximum penalty for the new offence of forced marriage – defined by the Government as a marriage which may involve physical, psychological, emotional, financial or sexual abuse – is seven years in prison.

Law enforcement agencies will also be able to pursue those suspected of such offences in other countries, where a UK national may be involved.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, described forced marriage as “a tragedy for each and every victim” and added: “Today’s criminalisation is a further move by this government to ensure victims are protected by the law and that they have the confidence, safety and the freedom to choose.”

Expert Opinion

This is a very welcome development which is the latest step forward in the significant international push to eradicate forced marriage, particularly involving children. <br/> <br/>"In some cases victims can be treated as no more than slaves and such an action amounts to nothing more than a violation of a person’s human rights. <br/> <br/>"The facts speak for themselves, with around 70,000 girls dying in childbirth because their bodies are too young to cope. In addition, every year in the developing world 1 in 7 girls are married under the age of 15. <br/> <br/>"This practice is robbing girls of their childhood and exposing them to a life of isolation and domestic and sexual violence. All of this shows why as much as possible needs to be done by the international community to bring an end to this. <br/> <br/>"Since 2008 we have recognised forced marriage as a form of abuse and civil courts have been able to issue orders preventing the marriage. Last year there were 1,302 dealt with by the Forced Marriage Unit, which offers assistance in the UK and abroad through the consulates. Around 15 per cent of the cases dealt with last year involved girls under the age of 15. <br/> <br/>"A forced marriage is one where one or both parties do not consent. They are coerced into it by family pressure which can manifest itself as emotional, psychological, financial or physical – with the latter involving threats or violence. <br/> <br/>"Often the marriages are arranged in secret and the girl leaves the UK to travel to what she is told is a family holiday only to find that she is to marry a stranger. It is hoped that making this a criminal offence, punishable by up to seven years imprisonment, will go some way to stopping this practice."