UK: Forced Marriages In Spotlight After Pakistani Mother Convicted For Trafficking 17-Year-Old Daughter

A woman of Pakistani origin was convicted and awarded a four and a half year jail sentence for trafficking and forcing her 17-year-old daughter to 'marry' a 34-year-old Pakistani man. The man had reportedly raped and caused the girl to become pregnant when she was only 13 years old. The mother had taken her daughter to Pakistan and threatened to destroy the girl's passport if she did not marry the man.

The case has brought thousands of other such cases of forced marriages among immigrants. The Guardian has reported that over 3,500 cases of forced marriages had been brought to the attention of police authorities over a three year period. Organisations working in this area have warned that the number could be many more across homes in the United Kingdom (UK).

One particular non-governmental organisation (NGO) received more than 22,000 calls from individuals or agencies regarding possible instances of forced marriages. Another NGO called Karma Nirvana received over 8,000 calls - over 200 of which were about possible cases of forced marriages of children under 15 years of age.

The UK's Home Office department had told The Guardian that last year alone the government agency provided support against forced marriages in 1,200 cases. The job is made more difficult for the government due to the reluctance of the victims to report such crimes and the fact that many of the 'child brides' are trafficked to countries such as Pakistan where the marriages take place.