YOUNG Asian children who face family pressure and subsequently are forced to marry strangers from the subcontinent could be vulnerable to committing suicide, charities have warned.
Findings by the NSPCC have shown a 12 per cent rise in calls concerning forced marriage, compared to last year.
Aneeta Prem, founder of Freedom Charity, which aims to prevent forced marriage and dishonour against young people, said it was vital to help those who are pressured into marrying because of parental compulsion.
“Young Asian girls are three times more likely than any other group to commit suicide between the age of 16 and 24,” Prem told Eastern Eye on Tuesday (1).
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) reported that girls as young as 13 have been using their counselling services to report incidents of being forced into marriage.
There were 205 calls to the Childline helpline for counselling services regarding forced marriage in 2016/17, whereas in 2011/12, only 55 calls were recorded. In 2016/17, there were 6,099 visits to the online Childline forced marriage page.
NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said: “No child should be forced into marriage and we must be clear that, regardless of cultural expectations, this is a crime and an abuse of human rights.
“Forcing a child to marry shows a complete lack of regard for their feelings, thoughts or ambitions.”
One 17-year-old girl described her ordeal of being forced to marry to counsellors at the NSPCC, saying “[she] never wanted any of this.”
“My friends are being supportive, but I can’t talk to my mum about it as she thinks he’s the best thing for me and told me that if I end the marriage she won’t speak to me ever again. I’ve never even met him.”
Another girl, aged 18, told Childline that her parents got violent with her when she doesn’t do what they want her to do. “My parents are talking about taking me back to my home country to get married, but I don’t want to. I want to leave home but they’d never agree to it. I just want to live a normal teenage life, but they won’t let me,” the teenager said.
Other young victims reportedly told counsellors that their families pressured them into marriage, as it would bring “shame and dishonour” on them if they did not comply with their wishes. Some also had concerns that relatives would be punished if they reached out for support.
It is this sort of pressure from families that can lead to depression and risk of suicide, charities and campaigners have cautioned.
With the school holidays underway, there is additional concern that children are more likely to be at risk of forced marriage, as families plan vacations in south Asia – some with the intention of getting the children married.
“In some instances children may have been told that they are going on a normal holiday and do not realise that they are heading to their wedding day with a complete stranger. Once they are abroad they may find themselves isolated and find it difficult to raise the alarm and halt the marriage,” the NSPCC reported.
Freedom Charity founder Prem said “I think the key thing is knowing that if someone has gone missing this summer, then you have to say something because the likelihood of them not coming back is extreme. If they haven’t consented to it, then you’re subjecting a young person to a life of abuse.”
Children who have been forced into marriage could experience trauma because they are trapped in a loveless marriage, having lost their childhood and also being exposed to physical and sexual abuse.
The rise in calls to the confidential helpline may be due to potential victims becoming more aware of the practice and what kind of help is available to them.
Organisations such as Freedom Charity work with a large number of young people within schools, colleges and university to raise awareness of the dangers concerning the issue.
Freedom Charity have also launched the Freedom Charity App, which can aid users in finding ways to speak to counsellors who can give them advice and offer help.
Prem, who also works as an author, said that part of the reason why she set up the charity was due to a young Asian girl that she knew who committed suicide after being forced into marriage.
“That was one of things when I was setting up the charity - I hadn’t really put into my consciousness why, but it had obviously affected me.”
The campaigner has urged anyone who is worried about a friend or relative who is potentially being forced into marriage to speak up. She also warned that if someone has discussed being depressed or wanting to kill themselves, this is a key warning sign and should be taken seriously.
“You have to do something because you can’t wait – someone could do this at any time. It isn’t a cry for help, it is a cry of someone who is absolutely terrified of being forced into a marriage,” she added.
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act made it a criminal offence to force someone to marry in 2014. Since 31 December 2016, figures show that only one conviction has been carried out regarding forced marriage.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Forced marriage is an abhorrent practice that this Government is determined to tackle. We know this is a hidden crime and we are encouraged that more victims are coming forward.
“We made forced marriage a criminal offence in 2014 and are encouraged by the first conviction, but we know there is much more to do. We will continue to work with the police, Crown Prosecution Service and others to drive progress.”
In 2016, the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) reported that they gave advice and support in 1,428 cases that were linked to a possible forced marriage. Of these, 26 per cent of the victims were below 18 years of age, whilst 34 per cent involved victims aged between 18-25.
Earlier this year, lifelong anonymity was introduced to victims to help encourage more to come forward and report this type of crime.
Anyone who is worried about a child who could be a potential victim of forced marriage can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
For more information about the Freedom Charity, access their website at https://www.freedomcharity.org.uk/
A FORMER West Yorkshire Police officer has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison after being convicted of misconduct in a public office.
Wasim Bashir, 55, who worked as a detective constable in Bradford District, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in a public office for forming a sexual relationship with a female victim of crime. He was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, 29 August.
Bashir retired from the force while under investigation but will still face misconduct proceedings.
The charge related to an incident of abuse of position for a sexual purpose, with Bashir engaging in a sexual relationship with a woman who had reported to West Yorkshire Police that she had been the victim of a sexual offence. He was involved in investigating her case.
The conviction followed an investigation by West Yorkshire Police’s Counter Corruption Unit under the direction of the Independent Office for Police Conduct. During the trial, the judge directed the jury to find Bashir not guilty of a second count of misconduct in a public office.
Detective Superintendent Natalie Dawson, Deputy Head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “For a police officer to pursue a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman who had come forward to report being victim of a sexual offence is nothing short of abhorrent.
“I want to reassure victims of crime and the wider public that this former officer is not representative of our organisation. One of the Force’s key purposes is to protect vulnerable people, and our officers and staff work tirelessly to protect people from harm and to safeguard victims.
“Former DC Bashir has retired from the organisation, but we will still continue with misconduct proceedings with a view to him being banned from gaining any further employment in the policing profession.”
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Protesters calling for the closure of The Bell Hotel, which was housing asylum seekers, gather outside the council offices in Epping on August 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
Court of Appeal has overturned injunction blocking use of Epping hotel for asylum seekers.
Judges say human rights obligations outweigh local safety concerns.
At least 13 councils preparing legal action despite ruling.
Protests outside the Bell Hotel lead to arrests and police injuries.
MORE than a dozen councils are moving ahead with legal challenges against the use of hotels for asylum seekers despite the Home Office winning an appeal in the Court of Appeal.
Judges ruled that meeting the human rights of asylum seekers by providing accommodation outweighed local safety concerns.
The injunction was secured by Epping Forest District Council after protests following the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl by an Ethiopian asylum seeker.
The man has been charged and denies wrongdoing. A full hearing on the planning dispute over the Bell Hotel will take place in October.
At least 13 councils are preparing similar legal action, The Times reported, including Labour-run Wirral, Stevenage, Tamworth and Rushmoor. Epping Forest Council said it may appeal to the Supreme Court.
Asylum minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government remained committed to ending hotel use by 2029 and argued the appeal was needed to move migrants “in a controlled and orderly way”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the government for prioritising “the rights of illegal immigrants above the rights of British people” and urged councils to continue legal action.
Reform leader Nigel Farage said the government had used the European Convention on Human Rights “against the people of Epping”.
Councils including Broxbourne and Spelthorne confirmed they were pressing ahead with enforcement action on planning grounds.
Protests outside the Bell Hotel on Friday led to the arrest of three men, while two police officers sustained minor injuries.
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India and Canada have appointed new envoys in a step to restore diplomatic ties strained since 2023. (Representational image: iStock)
INDIA and Canada on Thursday announced the appointment of new envoys to each other’s capitals, in a step aimed at restoring strained ties following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023.
India has named senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the next high commissioner to Ottawa, while Canada appointed Christopher Cooter as its new envoy to New Delhi.
The move comes more than two months after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi met Canadian prime minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit at Kananaskis in Canada.
Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently India’s ambassador to Spain.
“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
In Ottawa, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced that Cooter will be the next high commissioner to India, succeeding Cameron MacKay.
“The appointment of a new high commissioner reflects Canada’s step-by-step approach to deepening diplomatic engagement and advancing bilateral cooperation with India,” Anand said. “This appointment is an important development toward restoring services for Canadians while strengthening the bilateral relationship to support Canada’s economy.”
A Canadian statement described the appointments as an important step towards restoring diplomatic services for citizens and businesses in both countries.
Cooter, who has 35 years of diplomatic experience, most recently served as Canada’s charge d’affaires to Israel and has earlier been high commissioner to South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar. He also worked as first secretary at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi from 1998 to 2000.
In June, Modi and Carney had agreed to take “constructive” steps to bring stability to bilateral ties, including the early return of envoys to both capitals.
Relations between the two countries had deteriorated sharply after then prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged in 2023 that India may have had a role in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Following this, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats in October last year, while expelling an equal number of Canadian diplomats after Ottawa linked them to the case.
Carney’s victory in the parliamentary election in April has since helped initiate a reset in relations.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Security officers escort Sri Lankan former fisheries minister, Rajitha Senaratne (C), outside a court in Colombo on August 29, 2025. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)
SRI LANKAN former government minister surrendered himself to a court on Friday (29) after two months on the run, the latest high profile detention in a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown.
Anti-graft units have ramped up their investigations since president Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in September on a promise to fight corruption.
Former fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratne, who served in the cabinet of then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa, is accused of illegally awarding a 2012 contract to a foreign firm, allegedly causing a loss to the state of $83,000 (£61,478).
Senaratne had repeatedly dodged questioning, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption said.
High Court judge Lanka Jayaratne ordered him transferred to a lower court to face multiple cases.
Several politicians from the Rajapaksa administration, as well as family members, are either in jail or on bail pending corruption investigations.
Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested last week on a charge of misusing $55,000 (£40,738) of government funds for a private stopover in Britain.
Wickremesinghe, 76, who was granted bail on Tuesday (26), insisted the stopover was part of his official duties.
Under Dissanayake, two former senior ministers have been jailed for up to 25 years for corruption.
The police chief has been impeached, after he was accused of running a criminal network that supported politicians, and the prisons chief was jailed for corruption.
The head of immigration -- arrested just before Dissanayake took power -- remains in detention on a charge of contempt of court.
(AFP)
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Protesters from the group Save Our Future & Our Kids Future demonstrate against uncontrolled immigration outside the Cladhan Hotel on August 16, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo: Getty Images)
UK appeals court overturns ruling blocking hotel use for asylum seekers
Judges call earlier High Court decision “seriously flawed”
138 asylum seekers will not need to be relocated by September 12
Full hearing scheduled at the Court of Appeal in October
A UK appeals court has overturned a lower court order that had temporarily blocked the use of a hotel in Epping, northeast of London, to house asylum seekers.
A three-judge panel said the High Court ruling that set a September 12 deadline to move migrants from the Bell Hotel contained "a number of errors".
The case followed protests outside the hotel after a resident was charged with sexually assaulting a local girl. Demonstrations have continued for weeks and at times turned violent, triggering debate on immigration policy.
The Court of Appeal said the earlier ruling was "seriously flawed in principle" and could act as an "impetus or incentive for further protests". It added that it failed to consider the "obvious consequence that the closure of one site means capacity needs to be identified elsewhere in the system".
The government will now not be required to relocate 138 asylum seekers from the hotel by September 12. The decision also weakens local efforts to challenge the use of other hotels to house asylum seekers.
The Home Office is legally required under a 1999 law to house "all destitute asylum seekers whilst their asylum claims are being decided".
The case will return for a full hearing at the Court of Appeal in October. Both the Home Office and the hotel’s owner, Somani Hotels, are opposing Epping Forest District Council’s bid to prevent the hotel being used for asylum accommodation.
The council argued that the hotel posed a public safety risk and that its use breached planning rules.
The hotel became the focus of national attention after resident Hadush Kebatu was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He has denied the charges, which include sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and harassment without violence. His trial began this week.
Protests in Epping have since spread to other parts of Britain, as small boat arrivals across the Channel continue.