Police have described how a safeguarding referral, wedding album evidence and material recovered from electronic devices helped bring a landmark forced marriage case to court in Nottinghamshire.
The investigation, led by Nottinghamshire Police’s honour-based abuse team, resulted in a man and woman being sentenced after two boys aged under 18 were taken to Pakistan for marriages to be arranged.
Police said:
‘A complex forced marriage investigation involving our specialist honour-based abuse team has resulted in a man and woman being sentenced. Nottingham Crown Court heard the couple took two boys, aged under 18, to Pakistan to arrange their marriages. After one of the boys refused his proposed match, arrangements were then made for the girl to marry his brother instead.
‘In May 2023, we received a safeguarding referral that one of the boys had entered into a marriage in Pakistan. Extensive enquiries were carried out and, on 14 June 2023, forced marriage protection orders were served on a man and woman living in Nottingham, who were both arrested.
‘We retrieved evidence from the address, including a wedding photo album showing one of the boys had got married in a Nikah religious ceremony, as well as significant evidence on both suspects’ electronic devices.
‘Following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service Complex Case Unit, an Islamic expert was contacted, who also supported us with our investigation, providing a detailed report for use as part of our case. This expert report focused on a number of areas, including what specific things signify in the religion of Islam when it comes to marriage.
‘Neither the father, mother, nor their sons can be identified for legal reasons. A man, aged in his 50s, and a woman, aged in her 40s, both pleaded guilty to two counts of carrying out conduct for the purpose of causing a child to enter into a marriage before that child’s eighteenth birthday. They were each sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.
‘It is understood this case is one of the first convictions of its kind in the UK, and the first in Nottinghamshire, since a new law came into force in February 2023, meaning it is now a criminal offence to arrange marriages for those aged 17 or below. Under the law, it is illegal to carry out any conduct, or any intended conduct, to cause a child to marry before their 18th birthday, even if no ceremony takes place.
‘During the sentencing, which took place on Friday 15 May, it was made clear that there was no evidence of violence, threats, or undue coercion involved. The couple’s claims that they had not been aware of the change in law were also accepted.’
Investigating Officer Olivia Richardson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘Forced marriage is a serious offence and abuse of human rights, whether involving a child or an adult. Everyone has the right to choose if, when, and whom they marry. With this in mind, we treat all reports seriously, and we emphasise that those who have concerns regarding themselves or anyone they know are encouraged to report this to the police. We know it can be difficult to talk about what is happening, but telling someone can really help. We are here to listen and support you in any way we can.’
Detective Inspector Dave Nicks, of Nottinghamshire Police, added: ‘I would like to commend our officers who worked tirelessly on this investigation. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it, and that was borne out in court. For us, it is all about safeguarding vulnerable individuals. Our honour-based abuse team devote their time to helping victims and tackling crimes committed in the name of honour. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure people are protected from harm and perpetrators are held accountable.’
