SUPPORT FOR CAMERON IN LEICESTER OVER FORCED MARRIAGE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Support for Cameron in Leicester over forced marriage

Campaigners have welcomed David Cameron's pledge to give greater protection to women forced to marry against their will.

The Prime Minister said yesterday that forced marriage – as opposed to consensual, arranged marriage – was "little more than slavery".

He announced measures to encourage victims to come forward and said the Government was considering strengthening the law to punish those who coerced children into wedlock.

Meena Kumari, of Safe, a police-backed support group for Leicester's victims of domestic violence, welcomed the publicity for the often hidden issue.

Safe works with police, social services, schools and colleges to identify victims and help them flee abusive homes and rebuild their lives.

Ms Kumari said: "The fact the Prime Minister is talking openly about forced marriage is great. People have shied away from this issue.

"We are seeing an increase in the number of cases we're dealing with, but I don't think that is because it's a growing problem."The greater awareness is helping and people are no longer prepared to tolerate being treated this way."

But she urged caution about making arranging a forced marriage a criminal offence.

"Some of the people we have supported might not have come forward if they thought their parents or other close relatives could end up in prison," she said.

Leicestershire police started recording forced marriage cases in 2004 and over the next four-and-a-half years was alerted to 34.

In the following 18 months, to April last year, it received 101 reports.

The figures have continued to climb since, said Det Sgt Kev Wright, of the specialist domestic violence team.

He said: "As with domestic violence, the increased number of reports is seen as a positive."

Aneeta Prem, founder and president of Freedom, a charity which supports victims, said: "It may come as a surprise to many that forcing someone into marriage is not already a criminal offence. We are delighted the Prime Minister is taking a lead on this issue."

Mr Cameron also announced that those who breached court orders designed to protect victims once they had moved away from their families could face a harsher penalty than the current maximum two-year prison sentence.

The Prime Minister announced a series of measures to reduce immigration, including requiring people who wish to settle in the UK to have good command of English and evidence that they have the finance to support themselves.

In response to these measures, Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "At a time when abuses in the immigration system, including bogus colleges, remain prevalent, it would be a better use of resources to focus on improving administration in the UK Border Agency."

Contact Safe on 0800 022 3353.

www.safedvs.co.uk