Hope for victims of Forced Marriage

A charity dedicated to protecting children and young people forced into marriage, celebrated this May after the new Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, outlined in the Queen’s Speech will make Forced Marriage a criminal offence.

The Freedom Charity set up the country’s first 24/7 forced marriage phone and text helpline. Back in March, they also launched a smartphone app helping users to get in touch with the emergency services and other organisations who can help.

Founder Freedom Charity,  Aneeta Prem said:  “Making Forced Marriage a criminal offence will give a voice to those who haven’t had one before and give potential victims the confidence to seek help. It also means the police now have the tools to deal with the issue and can prosecute the perpetrators of this, horrendous, crime. The Freedom app is a great resource to support victims and guide professionals on where to go for help and advice”.

Between 5,000 and 8,000 young people are estimated to be pushed into a forced marriage in the UK.

Though Victims are traditionally considered to be of Asian origin, those from ethnic groups including Turkish, Greek, African, Arab, people from former Soviet Union countries as well as the travelling community have all been vulnerable.