Keighley MP told forced marriage law aided 8-year-old girl (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Keighley MP told forced marriage law aided 8-year-old girl
6:29pm Tuesday 9th March 2010 in
Hundreds of women including a girl as young as eight have been saved from a forced marriage as a result of tireless campaigning by Keighley MP Ann Cryer, MPs have been told.
Giving evidence before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee today, Crown Prosecutor Director for London West, Nazir Afzal, praised Mrs Cryer’s work in demanding action against forced marriage and honour-based violence.
The committee heard how the work of Mrs Cryer has resulted in several hundred women being helped because of changes to the law which saw the age someone can come into the UK to marry raised from 18 to 21.
Mrs Cryer also was at the centre of the campaign for Forced Marriage Protection Orders which offer protection if a forced marriage has already taken place. Passports can be confiscated to stop people being taken out of the country against their will, or returning someone to the UK if they have already been taken.
MPs were shocked when Mr Afzal told how an order was taken out on a girl of eight. Since the orders came into force in November 2008, 117 have been made.
Mr Afzal warned that, while progress had been made, many people were still not comfortable discussing the sensitive subject.
He said: “We are not at a stage where minimum standards are being carried out. There are still organisations that do not buy into it and are not open discussing this matter. But there is a greater awareness than there ever was.”
The Force Marriage Act is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Calls have also been made for more hotlines for women to call and also information to be given to women entering the UK about how to contact in a problem, amid fears many are left helpless.
Mr Afzal said: “West Yorkshire and the West Midlands are the areas with the largest volume of the problem but yet they do not have an area wide helpline.”
MPs were also told short films about forced marriage and domestic violence should appear on UK flights.
Mrs Cryer said: “I am very proud of what I have done. I always wondered if anyone else would have taken it on.
“It was not easy at the beginning and I suffered greatly and had lots of verbal abuse but I knew I was doing the right thing.
“What we have is not perfect and we must keep pressing the issue, especially when we hear of a girl as young as eight needing an order.
“We are not home and dry but well on the way.
“The Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities are getting the message you cannot force someone to marry. We’ve got somewhere in Keighley. I used to have people coming to me about this every other week but now I have virtually no cases.”
Comments(17)
denis court
says...
8:15pm Tue 9 Mar 10
Rambo
says...
10:36pm Tue 9 Mar 10
Thats the point. The ones concerned usually DON'T want an arranged marriage.
.
And 100,000s of women being battered? Really?
finemess
says...
4:18am Wed 10 Mar 10
The isssues of forced marriage and arranged marriages often involving family members is being reluctantly and tokenly tackled because of politically correct constraints and fear of communities playing the race card. Because of this thousands of asian women and children suffer in silence subjectd to degrading violent and sexual abuse.
If this had situation had been allowed to occur in any other community than the muslim community it would have been classed as a scandal and the government and police would have been dragging every last one of these abusers through courts pronto and demanding the stiffest of sentences.
Those many muslims that bully and abuse the women in their families and communities in this way are as revolting as paedofiles but are allowed almost a free reign to carry out there disgusting begaviour. They make me vomit!
Marco Polio
says...
5:13am Wed 10 Mar 10
finemess wrote:Well said. And Ann Cryer has fought to have forced marriges eradicated. This will never happen as people will always find a way through the law, either by loophole, or claiming racial discrimination, but at least she has stood up and taken action. She has done more for women, especially muslims, than Harridan Harperson and her band of man-haters has ever done. Well done Ann.
Domestic violence occurs in all relationships and the police have sound structures and priorities when dealing with these offences. The isssues of forced marriage and arranged marriages often involving family members is being reluctantly and tokenly tackled because of politically correct constraints and fear of communities playing the race card. Because of this thousands of asian women and children suffer in silence subjectd to degrading violent and sexual abuse. If this had situation had been allowed to occur in any other community than the muslim community it would have been classed as a scandal and the government and police would have been dragging every last one of these abusers through courts pronto and demanding the stiffest of sentences. Those many muslims that bully and abuse the women in their families and communities in this way are as revolting as paedofiles but are allowed almost a free reign to carry out there disgusting begaviour. They make me vomit!
P.S. to all those telling her to keep her nose out and calling her a busy body, you obviously agree with 8 year old girls being forced to marry, don't you?
thecitygent
says...
6:31am Wed 10 Mar 10
Rambo
says...
8:59am Wed 10 Mar 10
thecitygent wrote:The T&A should look into the increase in the number of diseases in the Bradford area linked to inbreeding, mainly due to forced marriages. Ask the local NHS/health services.
Shame that first cousin marriages are not given the same focus as forced marriages among the Pak community given the health implications and corresponding burden on health service provision. Forced marriages are bad enough but condoning in-breds is criminal but clearly it is a step too far for the PC brigade to acknowledge the problem.
Rambo
says...
9:16am Wed 10 Mar 10
Rambo wrote:Obvioulsy forced/arranged marriages within families.
thecitygent wrote: Shame that first cousin marriages are not given the same focus as forced marriages among the Pak community given the health implications and corresponding burden on health service provision. Forced marriages are bad enough but condoning in-breds is criminal but clearly it is a step too far for the PC brigade to acknowledge the problem.The T&A should look into the increase in the number of diseases in the Bradford area linked to inbreeding, mainly due to forced marriages. Ask the local NHS/health services.
Freddy Elliot
says...
9:27am Wed 10 Mar 10
BlahdeBlah
says...
12:15pm Wed 10 Mar 10
sexysam
says...
1:52pm Wed 10 Mar 10
thecitygent wrote:What about all the incest and inbreeding that is going within the white families of Keighley. Why doest Ann Cryer do something about that. Incest is a lot worse and damaging then forced marriage.
Shame that first cousin marriages are not given the same focus as forced marriages among the Pak community given the health implications and corresponding burden on health service provision. Forced marriages are bad enough but condoning in-breds is criminal but clearly it is a step too far for the PC brigade to acknowledge the problem.
Come on Cryer do something useful instead of ranting about the same thing over and over .
Bone_idle18
says...
2:20pm Wed 10 Mar 10
finemess
says...
4:26pm Wed 10 Mar 10
sexysam wrote:If that is occurring and I await the evidence that you seemingly have then that is another matter and also needs tackling, however somehow I think this slur is justa pathetic attempt to divert us from the real issues. Forced/arranged marriage within the muslim/asian community is recognised as a serious problem based on evidence gleaned from the authorities. Marrying and having children with first cousins and family members is also a recognised aspect of there culture.
thecitygent wrote: Shame that first cousin marriages are not given the same focus as forced marriages among the Pak community given the health implications and corresponding burden on health service provision. Forced marriages are bad enough but condoning in-breds is criminal but clearly it is a step too far for the PC brigade to acknowledge the problem.What about all the incest and inbreeding that is going within the white families of Keighley. Why doest Ann Cryer do something about that. Incest is a lot worse and damaging then forced marriage. Come on Cryer do something useful instead of ranting about the same thing over and over .
Now sexysam we await your evidence or link to such evidence!
leesa91
says...
4:39pm Wed 10 Mar 10
denis court
says...
7:17pm Wed 10 Mar 10
richmondbull
says...
7:54pm Wed 10 Mar 10
thecitygent
says...
8:18pm Wed 10 Mar 10
denis court wrote:'Bradford Syndrome'... define at your leisure. The person who offers the most definitions wins the freedom of the city. Where do you begin?
due to the huge number of cousin marrying cousin, who's parents also married their cousins and so on has resulted in 'Bradford Syndrome'. Basically, bradford has a far higher percentage of children born with genetic disabilities and disease than anywhere else in the UK (including Norfolk)
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Joedavid says...
7:11pm Tue 9 Mar 10
All girls and women should be free to fall in love and marry who they wish, that is the English way and supported by the law here.
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Women are equal to men.