West Midlands shamed over shocking toll of forced marriages

West Midlands Police has recorded 85 suspected forced marriages in the last five years while national charity Karma Nirvana said it had 399 calls for help from the region in 2014.

This year, since January alone, the charity has had 213 such calls.

The region has the second highest level of forced marriage in the country accounting for 12 per cent of all cases according to an agency set up by the Home Office and Foreign Office.

The shocking figures have emerged as this week saw the first conviction for forced marriage after new legislation introduced one year ago.

Forcing someone to marry against their will is now a criminal offence and was introduced exactly one year ago by the government.

It also applies to UK nationals overseas who are at risk of becoming the victim of a forced marriage.

Forced marriage can involve physical, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual abuse including being held unlawfully captive, assaulted and raped.

The maximum penalty for the new offence of forced marriage is seven years imprisonment.

Law enforcement agencies will also be able to pursue perpetrators in other countries where a UK national is involved under new powers defined in legislation. The offence is triable in courts in England and Wales.

A 34-year-old man was this week jailed for 16 years in the first successful prosecution for forced marriage.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, admitted making a 25-year-old woman marry him under duress last year.

He also pleaded guilty to charges of rape, bigamy and voyeurism at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

The court heard he threatened to kill her father unless she married him.

He was sentenced to four years for the forced marriage, 12 months for bigamy and 12 months for voyeurism to run concurrently with the 16-year rape sentence.

The criminal offences work alongside existing civil legislation known as Forced Marriage Protection Orders – (FMPOs) allowing victims to pursue a civil or criminal option.

FMPOs can already be made by a civil court against any individuals suspected of trying to force a victim into marriage.

A high court judge was criticised by campaigners for refusing to annul the marriage of a mentally incapacitated Sikh man from Sandwell in 2008 whose parents had imported a wife from India for him.

The judge decided not to recommend a petition of nullity be issued on the husband's behalf after deciding that he 'gained pleasure' from his Indian-born wife.

Campaigners against forced marriage claim parents in certain communities in Britain often marry off their disabled children in the hope that their spouses will act as carers.

Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds said: "I am concerned about the problem in the West Midlands and I am sure these figures do not tell the full story.

"I expect there are many more out there who remain hidden. I think it was right that the law was changed and hopefully the first successful conviction will show people will be punished for this and act as a deterrent."

West Midlands Police said there had been 85 instances of feared forced marriage flagged up over the last five years.

There were 29 in 2014 – up from 11 the year before. There was 15 in 2012, just seven in 2011, and 23 in 2010. Twelve people were charged in the 85 suspected cases. Five of the victims were male and 11 victims were children.

One of the biggest problems is that victims are taken abroad to be forced into marriage.

The Home Office and Foreign Office's joint Forced Marriage Unit said 77 per cent of the 1,267 cases in 2014 involved an 'overseas element'. Cases were spread over 88 countries.

Sergeant Trudy Runham said: "Forced marriage is often linked to sexual offences, domestic abuse and household slavery. West Midlands Police is committed to tackling the issue and has created Team Sentinel to help victims, identify offenders and work with affected communities. Every year it is estimated that between 8,000 and 10,000 people in the UK are forced into a marriage – that's 30 per day. We have specially trained officers who will guide and support victims."

Special police unit tackles wedlock against will

West Midlands Police has a special unit to tackle 'hidden crimes' such as forced marriage dubbed Team Sentinel.

Officers have identified a growing concern of people with learning disabilities – many without the mental capacity to consent to marriage – being forced into wedlock by parents.

In 2013, almost 100 such cases were investigated by UK police – including 10 in Birmingham and two in Sandwell – but experts suspect the true extent of the problem is far more prevalent.

West Midlands Police Sergeant Trudy Runham, said: "Sometimes people with learning difficulties are being forced into marriage by parents looking to secure a long-term carer for themselves in old age or for their disabled child.

"Another common motivators include trying to gain financial security, to obtain a visa for a non-UK resident, cultural pressures, or even out of a belief that marriage will somehow 'cure' the sufferer of their disability.

"I'm in no doubt it's a vastly under-reported crime because the victims often don't realise they're being forced to marry or are easily coerced – and they are reliant on others to spot the signs and raise concerns with police or support groups.

"In many cases the families are receiving social or health care services so one of the aims of the conference is to highlight the issue amongst our council and NHS partners, plus wider communities, and urge them to look out for the signs report any concerns to police."

The majority of marriages take place in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India but around a fifth happened in the UK.

Sgt Runham added: "Forced marriage is a serious offence and often linked to sexual offences, domestic abuse and 'household slavery'. West Midlands Police is committed to tackling the issue and has created Team Sentinel to help victims, identify offenders and work with affected communities.

"Every year it is estimated that between 8,000 and 10,000 people in the UK are forced into a marriage – that's 30 per day. We have specially trained officers who will guide and support victims to help free them from force marriages or take action to prevent one occurring."