What is Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence?

A forced marriage is where one or both people do not or cannot (owing to learning disability or mental capacity) consent to the marriage and where duress is used. ‘Duress’ includes psychological, sexual, financial or emotional pressure and physical violence.

Forced marriage is a violation of human rights and is seen in the UK as a form of domestic violence and/or child abuse. It may affect girls, boys, women and men from any community or background. However, existing statistics show that greater numbers of women are affected. Forcing someone to marry without their consent is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is seven years imprisonment.

It is unlawful to:

take someone overseas to force them to marry(whether or not the forced marriage takes place)
to marry someone who lacks the mental capacity to consent to the marriage (whether they’re pressured to or not)

You could be a victim of forced marriage if:

you do not say YES to getting married
you were not consulted or aware that you were getting married
your family or extended family used emotional pressure and/or physical violence to make you agree to marriage
you have been forced to stay in confinement and have not been allowed to discuss your marriage with anyone.

You could be at risk of forced marriage if:

your family is arranging your marriage without your approval
your official papers or passport have been taken away
you are being taken abroad and you are not sure why
you have been told you must leave education

If you are concerned about yourself or someone you know you need specialist advice and support. Contact the Freephone National Domestic Violence Helpline [external link] on 0808 2000 247 and check out the Forced marriage | Refuge website [external link] for more information on this subject and other related matters.

You can also contact the Forced Marriage Unit [external link] on fmu@fco.gov.uk or 020 70080 151