Forced marriage to become criminal offence, David Cameron confirms

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Forcing someone to marry is to become a criminal offence in England and Wales, leaving parents who coerce their children into a marriage facing the prospect of prison, David Cameron has confirmed.

The prime minister said he had listened to concerns that making forced marriage a specific criminal offence could deter victims from coming forward and would in response put into place a comprehensive package of protection and support to ensure "this most distressing issue" was not driven underground.

The announcement by the prime minister and the home secretary, Theresa May, of their intention to introduce legislation is light on detail but it is expected that the existing civil remedy of forced marriage protection orders will continue to exist alongside the new criminal offence.

This is designed to give victims the choice of taking the civil route or making a complaint to the police leading to a possible criminal prosecution. Victims will also be guaranteed that they will not be forced to support a prosecution against their wishes. However, ministers have ruled out giving victims a veto over whether a prosecution already begun should continue, which would have been a radical departure from existing English criminal law practice in which all prosecutions are carried out in the name of the crown.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/08/forced-marriage-criminal-offence-david-cameron

[pnwmom]

1. I hope this applies to all marriages involving children too young for real consent.n/t

[freshwest]

3. +1

[dipsydoodle]

6. In the UK

if the law was introduced it would be universal and apply to all age groups and not just anyone under age 18 as is currently the case : our legal age for marriage with "real consent" is 16.

This isn't actually LBN. Original news article on this subject here : Forced Marriage 'To Become Criminal Offence'
3:20pm UK, Wednesday June 06, 2012 http://news.sky.com/home/politics/article/16242356

[PossumSqueezins]

2. Forced heterosexual marriage...

But what about forced gay marriage??? I am surprised teabagging fundies haven't introduced legislation here to prevent forced gay marriage. Why stop at just preventing gay marriage?? Let's prevent all the millions who will be forced into it once it's legal.

[Quantess]

4. Hilarious!

You know Teh Gays with their agenda are working on a way to ensnare innocent straight people into forced gay marriage!

[PossumSqueezins]

5. Of course

After all, it's A CHOICE for most of THE GAYS, but innocent heterosexsters could get unwittingly lassoed into it or even forced!!!!

[christx30]

16. I'm a straight married guy

but last week I was out looking for a beer at a bar. I don't remember much after that, but now I'm married to a guy naked Steven. He kicks my ass at X-box. But I miss my wife. Damn these gay marriage people!!

[Posteritatis]

7. .. Why precisely wasn't it already? Augh. (nt)

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Here's another article from a few months ago:

Until now the Home Office had set itself against the idea of a criminal offence. In July it told the Commons home affairs select committee that existing offences such as kidnapping, people trafficking and abduction were more than enough to deal with the problem and a new offence would be difficult to define and difficult to enforce. Only three weeks ago, Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone said it wasn't even on the department's agenda.

When Cameron signalled that the policy had changed this week he seemed to acknowledge some of the problems. He said he would first introduce criminal penalties for those who breached forced marriage prevention orders and then ask the home secretary to consult on making forcing someone to marry a criminal offence. He specifically said he wanted to make sure "that such a step would not prevent or hinder them from reporting what has happened to them."

However the most recent study by Dr Aisha Gill at Roehampton University seems to indicate that this is by no means straightforward. Responses from 74 organisations and community groups supporting victims of forced marriages showed little appetite for a specific new offence, arguing that its creation would lead to the political temptation to declare that criminalisation has dealt with the problem of forced marriages. Instead they argued that investing in prevention, protection of victims and the provision of support services may well offer better results.

Crucially the report concludes:

For many victims it is crucial that seeking help does not prevent future reconciliation with their families, especially their parents. In this regard, criminalisation may actively discourage many victims and potential victims from speaking out about the abuse/coercion they are are facing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/crime-and-justice-blog/2011/oct/12/forced-marriage-ukcrime

[magical thyme]

15. because young people are often understandably reluctant to send their parents to prison

When I was 22, I learned via letter from the IRS that my father had a year or two earlier, forged my signature on a 1099 form at the corp. where he was a district manager, taking the meager income and sticking me with the tax bill, including interest, penalties and the threat of jail if I did not pay up immediately.

I chose to shut up and pay up. The turmoil in an already dysfunctional family, in which my father was the "santa claus" who could do no wrong would have been unreal. To have been thrown to the wolves at that age, which absolutely would have been my fate, would have likely not been survivable.

Clearly somebody who is being forced into an unwanted marriage is in a severely dysfunctional family, at least in our culture.

[RainDog]

8. k&r n/t

[Swede Atlanta]

10. I believe multiculturalism strengthens a nation but.....

there are limits. When people from another part of the world where such practices and those like female circumcision, or even arranged marriages (not forced per se but arranged), are commonplace come to another country where such practices are not observed, the practices must be subject to review.

Some practices may be relatively harmless. I suggest that other than security concerns, the wearing of the burqa is relatively harmless. We can debate whether requiring a woman to wear the burqa and subjugate herself to her husband is a form of abuse, but that is another matter.

But things like forced marriages, arranged marriages, female circumcision, etc. are simply inconsistent with Western liberal (Yes I used the word "liberal&quot values. As such if these people want to come and live in the West and enjoy the benefits of our economic system, then they must give up those practices that are so inconsistent.

Even if someone is granted asylum because of a real threat to the life in their home country, they must be willing to give up those practices or else they should not have sought asylum in the West.

[Odin2005]

14. I think the cultural relativists can go **** themselves.

And if people want to act like barbarians they can go back to where they came from. I have no sympathy for immigrants who bring their barbarous cultural practices along with them.

[trof]

11. No more 'shotgun' weddings?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. Shotguns? In England?

Maybe a "severe beating with a bumbershoot" wedding.

[Odin2005]

13. GOOD!

[3waygeek]

17. So which one will go to gaol?

David Cameron, or Nick Clegg?