Faith no excuse for violence
Being forced into marriage marks the start of many women’s misery – not the end, says Nazir Afzal, Director of the Crown Prosecution Service for London West.
Mr Afzal has had death threats from family members of abuse victims but that hasn’t stopped him from relentlessly pursuing those responsible for carrying out 'honour' based violence (HBV).
HBV often occurs when someone doesn’t want to enter or tries to escape a forced marriage. Choosing whether and who to marry is a basic issue of human rights, Mr Afzal says.
“There are many hundreds of women every year who are denied that responsibility and that choice. For many women, forced marriage is the beginning of their suffering – not the end.”
Many victims are terrified to report cases because once they have sought help, they face a point of no return. They are often shunned by their families and communities and live the rest of their lives in fear.
Culture and religion are often used to excuse HBV but “there is no faith justification for violence”, says Pakistan-born Mr Afzal.
The CPS director was speaking at a special roadshow in Cambridgeshire on 12 June 2008, aimed at raising awareness about issues surrounding HBV. That week he dealt with a case involving a 12-year-old girl from North London who had been coerced into marriage and raped.
Over the years there have been horrific killings, usually perpetrated or instigated by the families of HBV victims. Almost all involve multiple offenders.
Often the murders are planned by older members of the family but carried out by teenagers or hit men, Mr Afzal says.
In 2006 Banaz Mahmod, a 20-year-old London woman, was murdered by her uncle on her father’s orders for escaping a forced marriage and falling in love with another man. She was abducted, raped, murdered and then buried in a suitcase in Birmingham.
Mr Afzal says the story of her brutal murder is often used to threaten other victims of violence, who are warned that they will “be the next Banaz” if they try to escape.
It’s not unusual for victims who try to speak out to receive flowers with the message: “I am going to kill you”.
Mr Afzal says it’s crucial to take all cases of suspected abuse seriously. “Otherwise we are consigning that victim to a terrible fate.”
Women coerced into unhappy marriages often suffer in silence and the problem is hugely under-reported. However, there are telltale signs that society must wake up to and act upon.
For example, the suicide rate amongst South Asian women is three times higher than average, Mr Afzal says. He also points to the high number of rail deaths in areas with a large South Asian population, such as Southall and Slough, and to cases of children suddenly disappearing from school. However, forced marriages aren’t limited to any community, culture or class.
Part of the solution is raising awareness in the community and getting men to take a proactive role in stamping out HBV, Mr Afzal says.
“Regrettably there are very few men from the communities which are affected who are ready to speak out.”