Forced marriage: Just the facts
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Forced marriage is a crime in Great Britain.
What is a forced marriage?
A forced marriage is where one or both people consent to marriage after pressure and/or abuse is used.
Any person may be forced into a marriage, including people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and religions.
In the UK, forced marriage is seen to be a form of violence against men and women, and is classed as domestic abuse and child abuse, which both violate an individual’s human rights.
Forced marriage is illegal in the UK, and that includes taking someone overseas and forcing them to marry, whether the marriage takes place or not, and marrying someone who lacks the mental capacity to consent to the marriage.
The pressure that is put on people to marry can take different forms:
- Physical: including threats, actual physical violence and sexual violence
- Emotional and psychological: for example, when someone is made to feel like they’re bringing shame on their family
- Financial abuse: including taking away their ...
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