"Lost Women" - Victim Of Honour Based Violence Urges Others To Speak Out
A young woman who fled to Merseyside to escape her violent family and a forced marriage is urging others in a similar situation to speak out. Tuesday 14th July is the first national day of remembrance for Britain's "lost women". It would also have been the 29th birthday of Shafielia Ahmed - the Warrington teenager who was murdered by her parents in an honour killing in 2003. The mum-of-two - who has now built a new life - has taken part in a video produced by Merseyside Police to raise awareness of honour based violence and urge other victims to speak out and get help. The woman who is in her 20s talks about her family arranged for her to be married to a man much older than her in another country and beat her when she refused to conform. She also reveals how she planned to leave her family by seeking advice from the government's Forced Marriage Unit and how she was helped by a women's refuge and a local charity when she arrived in Merseyside with few possessions, no accomodation and no friends or family nearby. You can find some of the support services available here:
<a class="article-body-link" href="http://www.merseyside.police.uk/advice-and-protection/crimes-against-people/honour-based-violence/">Merseyside Police</a>