Britain would outlaw forced marriages

Police in Britain say a law banning forced marriages would allow them to go after guilty families without relying on charges of kidnaping, assault or forced imprisonment.

A Home Office spokesman confirmed that a consultation paper would be launched in late spring on whether a specific criminal offence should be created. There would be widespread discussion, he said, with victims of forced marriage, women’s groups and others “to see how best the law can be used to support victims”.

Police believe that an offence would also help to curb the incidence of so-called “honour killings”, as well as the incidence of abduction, assault, domestic violence and rape associated with forced marriage.

Honour killings are concentrated in the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities but cases are also emerging involving women from Arabic and eastern European backgrounds.