The UK Government’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) ha released a new film to demonstrate the devastating impact of forced marriage on both victims and their families.
The aim of the film is to raise public awareness of the impact of forced marriage, and warn of the criminal consequences of involvement, building on the outreach and education work of the FMU. Told from the perspective of a victim’s older brother, who is complicit in arranging her forced marriage but unaware of its true impact until it is too late, the film represents the first time the FMU have directly targeted family members.
Its release follows the launch of a new free online training tool designed to help professionals recognise the warning signs of forced marriage and take the right action – at the right time.
In a statement to mark the release of the film, Foreign Office Minister, Grant Shapps said, “Forced marriage has no place in the UK. This film demonstrates the full horror of its impact, and our determination to stamp out this brutal practice once and for all - defending victims through full use of the law where necessary. We are proud of the work of the FMU and the strong message we send to anyone forcing someone to marry against their will. There is a lot more work to be done, but we are determined to continue working with communities and organisations across the UK both to protect and support victims, but also to punish offenders.”
