Police step in to save Leeds brides forced into marriage

Police and court agencies issued recently-introduced forced marriage protection orders on behalf of the women, which prevent their families from taking them abroad to be married against their will.

The move comes after revelations that Leeds had become a hot spot of “honour” crime in South Asian, Iranian, Somalian and African communities.

The city ranked third on a list of calls to an “Honour Network helpline” run by a charity.

Forced marriage protection orders (FMPOs) carry a punishment of up to two years in prison for anyone found in breach. They were introduced as part of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act in 2008.

Det Insp Granville Ward of West Yorkshire Police said: “Since the Act was introduced we have assisted at least 29 women in West Yorkshire who are protected by these orders.

“FMPOs are not an automatic response to issues of this kind but are used when appropriate and the evidence so far suggests they have been extremely effective at protecting women in West Yorkshire.”

Jasvinder Sanghera, Bradford-born founder of the Karma Nirvana charity, which runs the honour helpline, said there were “far more cases” which remained hidden.

She said: “For this region, the reporting is still very low. Given the population and the minority groups, we know there will be thousands of victims, but it’s a very hidden issue. We’ve got to increase reporting and reduce isolation of victims.”