Government rule out criminalising forced marriages

Despite concerns over the increasing numbers of forced marriages and calls from the likes of Baroness Sayeeda Warsi to criminalise the practice, the government have ignored calls to create a forced marriage crime.

Back in July, Baroness Warsi suggested that there should be a radical rethink on the issue by ministers and said the government should consider criminalising forced marriages. Many welcomed such a move, claiming that it could save countless lives.

But in an interview this week, Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone said the issue to make it a criminal offence was not on the government's agenda.

She said,

"Yes there have been calls for it from a couple of quarters, but not overall and our judgement at this moment in time that would not be helpful. We are much more keen on protection, raising awareness and making sure that everyone who may be subjected to a forced marriage knows that they can be protected. It's very important, perhaps the most important thing, to get protection in place for those who may fall victim to forced marriage and that protection cannot be out in place if people don't come forward.”

The Home Affairs Select Committee though believes that making forced marriages an offence would complement the court orders which were introduced in 2007 designed to protect potential victims.

Since its introduction, there have been almost 300 protection orders which are used to forbid families from actions such as taking people abroad for marriage, seizing passports or intimidating victims. Anyone in breach of an order can be jailed for up to two years.

Featherstone's comments come just three years after Prime Minister David Cameron, who was in the opposition party at the time, said a future Tory government would consider making forced marriages a criminal offence and branded the practice "utterly bizarre and frankly unacceptable".