Calls for more action to highlight forced marriage to South Yorkshire young people

It's thought many cases are going unreported to police here

Author: Ben BasonPublished 8th Aug 2018

We're hearing this summer young people in South Yorkshire are being taken abroad, threatened with violence, and forced to marry against their will.

Experts say forced marriage here's going under the radar - and the summer holidays are "prime time" for it happening.

But it's claimed not enough's being done to make sure young people know what it is and that it could happen to them.

Last year more than 150 cases were tackled in Yorkshire - but Zlakha Ahmed - from Rotherham charity Apna Haq - says a lot goes on that's not reported:

"Young people often feel they'll be betraying their parents and their families. So they obviously don't want the marriage but they also don't want to upset or hurt their parents. There are many young people out there who end up getting into marriages that are forced because they're not able to speak out."

"Many young women and young men will actually go along with it because at that point in time it felt the safest thing to do but when they've come back to Britain they've spoken to teachers, lecturers at college, anybody who they felt would understand about how it's not really what they want."

South Yorkshire Police have already issued a number of protection orders for forced marriage this summer - including the first in the UK for a male victim.

But it's feared much more is going on that we don't know about, because it simply isn't being reported.

Zlakha says it can be really scary for young people who fall victim:

"The young person has been told that this is going to happen and the young person has is then told that if there's any resistance on their part, they may have violence comitted against them. So there's real fear for some young people.

"You want to be able to raise enough awareness where young people are able to come and get support before they're put into that situation. For those who may not realise what's going to happen, and it happens, for them to have enough awareness and understanding to know that they can come back and gain support to get out of that situation."