In certain communities, it is regarded as being important that women undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) before being able to marry- usually this is performed during childhood but there have been reports of young women undergoing FGM just prior to a forced marriage.

Practitioners should be alert to potential warning signs and consider that forced marriage could be the reason.

However, they should be careful not to assume that forced marriage is an issue simply on the basis that an individual presents with any of these problems.

Some of the warning signs could be indicative of other forms of abuse or neglect that may require a multi-agency response.

All practitioners working with victims of forced marriage and HBV need to be aware of the ‘one chance’ rule. That is, they may only have one chance to speak to a potential victim and may only have one chance to save a life. This means that all practitioners working within statutory agencies need to be aware of their responsibilities and obligations when they become aware of potential forced marriage cases. If the victim is allowed to walk out the door without support being offered, that one chance might be wasted.

Coercion is likely to have been used with one or both spouses; by family members, friends and the wider community. This may include: threats of violence, being held against their will, emotional threats and other forms of coercion and harassment, such as not being allowed to go anywhere without being accompanied by someone.

There is a common misconception that forced marriages are confined to certain religious groups and cultures, however this is not the case. The practice of forced marriage is not confined to one culture or religious group and can happen regardless of ethnicity, culture, religion, disability, age, gender and sexuality. Any person can find themselves in a situation where they are offered no choice but to proceed with the marriage.

If you are a member of the public concerned that someone is at risk of a forced marriage and/or honour based violence, either in the UK or abroad, you should contact either West Midlands Police on 101 or the Forced Marriage Unit on 020 7008 0151 urgently or by emailing fmu@fco.gov.uk

Remembering the ‘one chance rule’ the agency should carefully question the person concerned as cases are complex and highly sensitive to the individual.

The reason behind the forced marriage may be due to sexuality or disability as well as cultural belief. The majority of victims will be women, but there are also male victims of forced marriage and honour based crimes. All cases should be dealt with seriously.