Domestic Abuse
Forced Marriage and Predatory Marriage
What is Forced Marriage?
A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities or reduced capacity, cannot) consent to the marriage as they are pressurised, or abuse is used, to force them to do so. It is recognised in the UK as a form of domestic or child abuse and a serious abuse of human rights.
The pressure put on people to marry against their will may be:
- physical: for example, threats, physical violence or sexual violence
- emotional and psychological: for example, making someone feel like they are bringing ‘shame’ on their family
Financial abuse, for example taking someone’s wages, may also be a factor.
The short video below gives further information on Forced Marriage:
The UK government has a dedicated Forced Marriage Unit and webpage with lots of resouces and advice on this topic. Please follow this link
Ask Arita
West Midlands Police produced a series of 'Dear Deidre' style advice columns known as 'Ask Arita' which cover the subject of forced marriage. Although produced by a different police force the advice is still applicable no matter where you are in the country...if you are worried please call 101.
What is Predatory Marriage?
A predatory marriage typically involves a situation where one person does not have the required mental capacity to consent to marriage but is led into it, and taken advantage of, by the other party to secure financial or other gains. ‘Predators’ can take advantage of the fact that entering into a marriage will revoke any will that has formerly been put in place. This means that, when the vulnerable individual dies, the predator benefits from their estate.
A key campaigner on this subject is Daphne Franks, daughter of Joan Blass, who was victim of a predatory marriage and whose brief story is below:
Joan Blass was 91 with severe dementia and terminal cancer. After her death in March 2016, we found that a much younger man, age 68, had secretly married her five months previously. She never knew that she was married . These events have had a devastating effect on our family both emotionally and financially. We were shocked by how few checks there were to stop this marriage taking place. We believe that there needs to be better protection against such predatory marriage to prevent this happening to anyone else.
For more information please visit the Predatory Marriage website
Hourglass Webinar Recording – What Can We Do to Prevent Predatory Marriage?
'My Marriage My Choice' started as a research project led by social work researchers at the University of Nottingham and has developed into an online space providing information and resources to people with learning disabilities, their friends and carers and people working with them or interested in forced and unlawful marriage. Their wesbite contains information on Forced Marriage and Predatory Marriage, to visit please click here