Jasvinder Sanghera CBE Karma Nirvana

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Jasvinder Sanghera CBE Karma Nirvana
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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• Increase reporting, reduce isolation save lives
  
• National Challenges 2014
• Jasvinder Sanghera CBE

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Victims Experiences/Challenges
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• Multiple perpetrators - Immediate, extended
  family UK/abroad
• Self policing - organised networks, collusion,
  use of professionals
• Reporting - Not being believed, undermining
  perception of risks, lack of understanding
  impacts on response
• Responses dealt with as different - Cultural, not
  as CP/PP, professionals from same ethnicity,
  breeches of trust, missed indicators
• Inappropriate family engagement- Believing family
  over victim, use of interpreters, mediation
• Increased risk upon leaving - Tracked down by
  family, lack of communication between force
  areas, multi-agency communication

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Consequences of FM/HBV
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• Repeated rape - Ongoing DV including by family
  members
• Children witness abuse- Promised into marriages
• Self harming suicide- Higher incidences of
  South Asian
• Overseas - Perpetrators, imprisonment, abduction
• Murder - Family organise meetings to deal with
  victims, involvement of family UK, overseas,
  bounty hunters

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Policing Challenges
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• Identification of risk- Risk management
• Community Impact- Community engagement, denial,
  challenges
• Investigative challenges- Multiple perpetrators,
  wall of silence, fear, hostility, use of
  interpreters
• Training - Lack of awareness, awareness of first
  response officers
• Cultural Sensitivities- Impacts on professional
  confidence, fear of offending, community
  relations
• Lack of Force-Wide Ownership - Impacts on
  responses, reliance on one or two officers, front
  line policing knowledge, force policy/action
  plan?

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Sentencing Remarks - Justice Roderick Evan
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• your concern about being shamed in your
  community was greater than the love of your
  child
• Shafilea was a determined, able and ambitious
  girl who wanted to live a life which was normal
  in the country and in the town in which you had
  chosen to live and bring up your children
• The killing was motivated by cultural issues

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Risk Indicators Prosecutor Andrew
Edis QC
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• Describes 3 choices within family dynamic
• Escape, submit or die
• Alesha has escaped, Mevish has submitted and
  Shafilea has died
• Parents sentenced 2012 to 25 years

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Forced Marriage Protection Orders
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• 2009 101 FMPOs
• 2010 149 FMPOs
• 2011 157 FMPOs
• 2012 124 FMPOs
• 2013 103 FMPOs
• Statistics based upon Ministry of Justice data
  collation

641 Orders in total
Approximately 54 of applications made are for
under 17s
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Shafilea Ahmed
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'Happy Families I don't pretend like we're the
perfect family no more Desire to live is
burning My stomach is burning But all they think
about is honour I was like a normal teenage
kid Didn't ask 2 much I jus wanted to fit in But
my culture was different But my family ignored

• Died Age 17

DOB 14th July 14 1986
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• Email info_at_karmanirvana.org.uk
• Website www.karmanirvana.org.uk
• Helpline Number 0800 5 999 247
• Follow us on
• Karma Nirvana _at_KarmaNirvanaUK
• Please pick up copies of our literature for
  distribution

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Survivor Ambassador
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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Video address Rt Hon Norman Baker MP Minister
of State for Crime Prevention
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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(No Transcript)
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Refreshment break
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Survivor Ambassador
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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Helen Jones MP Shadow Minister (Home Affairs)
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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Chaz Akoshile Joint Head Forced Marriage Unit
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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National Conferenceon the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage ReasonsRisksResponseChaz
AkoshileJoint Head, Forced Marriage Unit 6 May
2014

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Forced Marriage Unit

• FMU established in 2005.
• Governments main delivery arm for
• Development of effective policy
• Awareness raising
• Casework
• Domestic
• Consular
• Reluctant Sponsors

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2013 Data

• FMU provided advice or support in over 1300 cases
  related to an actual or potential forced
  marriage.
•  
• 15 of calls involved victims below 16 years of
  age
  
• 25 involved victims aged 16-17
• 48 involved victims aged 18-25
• 7 involved victims aged 26-30
• 82 involved female victims and 18 involved male
  victims.
• 97 instances involving those with disabilities.
• 12 instances involved victims who identified as
  LGBT.

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Countries of origin

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• Pakistan (42.7), India (10.9), Bangladesh
  (9.8),
• Afghanistan (2.8) Somalia (2.5),
• Iraq (1.5), Nigeria (1.1), Saudi Arabia (1.1),
• Yemen (1.0), Iran (0.8), Tunisia (0.8), The
  Gambia (0.7)
• Egypt (0.6) and Morocco (0.4).
• The origin was unknown in 5.4 of cases.  
• Overall the FMU handled cases involving 74
  different countries.

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2013 National scale

• London 24.9
• West Midlands 13.6
• South East 9.9
• North West 9.3
• Yorkshire and Humberside 6.8
• East Midlands 4.2
• East 3.5
• Scotland 2.9
• North East 2.0
• South West 1.6
• Wales 1.6
• Northern Ireland 0.3
• 19.4 of cases were classed as unknown.

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How we help in the UK

• Reassure confidentiality when a call is made to
  our public helpline.
• Work with police, social workers, teachers,
  welfare officers, health professionals and others
  in UK to protect people at risk and highlight
  warning signs.
• Provide support, information and contacts.
• Arrange safe accommodation in UK.
• Collaborate with UK Visas and Immigration to
  prevent entry clearance or have an individual
  removed from the UK.

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Assisting Overseas

• Signposting to BHC/Embassies.
• Arrange safe accommodation overseas.
• Assistance with their return to the UK
  providing local knowledge linked to exit visas.
• Organise repatriation - and rescues in extreme
  cases.
• Accompanying victims to the airport especially
  in the case of minors.
• Organise emergency flights/ travel documents with
  safe pick-up and transport from airport.

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Legal Assistance

• FORCED MARRIAGE PROTECTION ORDERS
• (FMPOs)

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Who can take one out?

• VICTIM
• A person at risk could effectively take out an
  order themselves.
• 3RD PARTY
• Social Services.
• NSPCC.
• Police.
• Local authorities.
• NGOs.
• ANY PERSON GIVEN (LEAVE) PERMISSION BY THE COURT.

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Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPOs)

• Effective method of assisting victims both in UK
  and overseas.
• Contains legally binding conditions targeting any
  number of perpetrators, with the aim of ensuring
  victims are not forced into a marriage against
  their will.
• FMPOs allow for a victim to be protected,
  assisted and supported without the need to bring
  the situation into the criminal justice system.
• Please note If a child is under 16, it is
  invariably necessary to also obtain an Interim
  Court Order thereby giving the Court powers to
  make decisions for the childs wellbeing.

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Policy Development

• LEGISLATION

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Future for Victims

• Although forcing someone into a marriage
  and/or luring someone overseas for the purpose of
  marriage will become a criminal offence the
  civil route and the use of FMPOs will still be
  available and can be used as an alternative to
  entering the Criminal Justice System.
• Perpetrators may be prosecuted if it is
  overwhelmingly in the public interest to do so,
  however, victims should be able to choose how
  they want to be assisted.
• New offence will come into effect in June 2014.

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Penalties

• Forced Marriage offence
• Maximum penalty on conviction on indictment will
  be imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven
  years and/or a fine.
• Maximum penalty on summary conviction will be
  imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months
  and/or a fine.
• Breach of FMPO
• Maximum penalty on conviction on indictment will
  be imprisonment for a term not exceeding five
  years and/or a fine.
• Maximum penalty on summary conviction will be
  imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months
  and/or a fine.
•  

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Benefits

• Further protection
• Deterrent
• Support for professionals
• Clarity of message
• EMPOWERS THE VICTIMS

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Statutory Guidance

• Senior Management Commitment.
• Defined Roles Responsibilities.
• Clear Lines of Accountability.
• Staff Training Awareness Raising.
• Signposting Practice Guidelines.
• Record Keeping.
• Risk Assessment on-going/links.
• Victim-centred approach.
• Danger of Family Mediation.
• Agency-specific requirements.

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Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines

• Police, Social Care, Health, Education and
  Housing Professionals.
• Best practice guidance UK overseas, including
  legal remedies.
• Detailed step-by-step guidance.
• E-Learning course for practitioners.
• Forced Marriage Learning Disabilities.

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Publicity materials

• Survivors Handbook.
• Forced Marriage and Learning Disabilities.
• Guidance for Registrars.
• Guidance for MPs and Councillors.
• LGBT booklet.
• Smartphone app

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Get in touch

• Call us on (44) 207 008 0151
• E-mail us at fmu_at_fco.gov.uk
• Follow us on
• http//www.facebook.com/forcedmarriage
• www.gov.uk/forced-marriage
• _at_FMUnit

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Nazir Afzal OBE Chief Crown Prosecutor for the
North West of England Women in Chains
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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Lunch
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Tom Winsor HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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Commander Makhdum (Mak) Ali Chishty ACPO
National lead for HBV and Forced Marriage
The National Conference on the criminalisation of
Forced Marriage
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Tackling Honour Based Violence...moving beyond
transaction into service

• Commander Mak Chishty QPM
• National Policing Lead for HBV, FM, FGM

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Notable UK cases
Rukhsana NAZ (pregnant- held down by mother and
strangled by brother) Heshu YONES (killed by her
father) Benaz MAHMOD (killed by father, uncle
Kurdish community members) Tulay GOREN (killed by
her father) Shafilia AHMED (killed by her mother
father)
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• Honouring their lives and learning from their
  deaths

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Honour based violence

• Crime - criminals who deserve prison
• Human Rights Abuse - torture and slavery
• Child Abuse - child protection plans
• Sex Crimes - rapes
• Which community, race, faith, culture can claim
  honour in any of these?

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Bride Price
Acid Attacks

• Child Abuse

Honour Killing
Land Feuds
Suicide
Torture
Slavery
Kidnapping
Blood Feuds
Rape
Female Infanticide
Forced Marriage
Child Marriage
Female Genital Mutilation
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Our duty

• Protect - people from harm of Death, Injury,
  Loss, and Distress
• Prevent - abandonment of practice through
  community driven solutions
• Pursue and Prosecute - Police/CPS joint
  investigative strategies

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Present status

• Processes and systems - flagging, risk assessing,
  case tracking
• Framework - local, national, cross governmental
• Strategy and plan - Ending Violence against Girls
  and Women
• Well done and thank you... but we need to move
  beyond transactional approaches into the next
  stage of service

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work in progress

• Good practice Multi Agency Public Protection
  Arrangements
• Regional and National problem profiles
• Good practice Multi Agency Risk Assessment
  Conferences
• Neighbourhood level engagement
• 2014 joint National Conference with Karman
  Nirvana - victim and survivor led
• Police / CPS joint training sessions for FM FGM
  (across 13 CPS Regions associated police
  forces)
• Police / CPS Protocol 38/42 Forces signed up
  so far
• National Policing Curriculum Level I II public
  protection training for police officers incl
  HBV, FM, FGM. Supported by 6 scenario based
  e-learning modules (College of Policing COP)
• Authorised Professional Practice HBV, FM FGM
  (COP)
• Updated ACPO HBV Strategy (draft) , Comms ,
  Tactics etc.
• Partnership with Europol Member States law
  enforcement agencies to tackle travelling
  offenders, exploit Intelligence

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A case of reflection and a cause for change

• ASB - A Step in the Right Direction
• Domestic Abuse - Everyones Business
• Hate Crime - Getting Away with Murder
• Savile - Giving Victims a Voice
• Child Sexual Exploitation - Dont Look Away

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HBV - The real challenge

• Vastly under-reported and requiring victim,
  survivor and community confidence
• Attitude - Our culture (domestic abuse)
• Aptitude - Knowledge and Ability gained
• Appetite - Protection for all must be a priority

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Forced marriage - a new opportunity to Bridge
Process and culture together

• A marriage conducted without the valid consent of
  both parties, where duress is a factor
• A criminal offence - a first conference to talk
  about this well needed statutory legislation
• Forced Marriage Legislation Enactment June 2014

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Present Approach

• HM Governments Violence Against
• Women Girls Strategy Police Service
• Public Protection
• UK National Policing structure
• 9 ACPO Regional leads
• 43 Force champions
• NGO IAG specialist support
• HM Governments FM Unit

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ACPO national Action plan - themes of work

1. Making HBV unacceptable in all communities
2. Victim Confidence
3. Breaking offending behaviour
4. Justice Seen, Justice Done
5. Continuous Learning
6. Communication and engagement

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1. Making HBV unacceptablein all communities

• Recognise change the world in 2014
• Community driven solutions
• Breaking the generational cycle
• Challenge where appropriate
• Fundamental Human Rights

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• .The majority of young people from immigrant
  communities are well integrated. Yet in many
  households, old traditions are still a powerful
  force
• Why? the community back home has also been
  moving on. Things haves been changing .

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2. Victim Confidence

• Trust belief in police others - work with KN
  survivors
• Early identification of HBV
• Right Service, First Time. Never turn a victim
  away
• Meeting needs of victims
• Accessibility
• No judgement
• Respect dignity fundamental right to be
  believed.

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3. Breaking offending behaviour

• Risk assessment safety planning
• National Intelligence Model Intelligence
  requirement
• People at risk of offending ID of intervention
  opportunities
• Making it shameful
• Early intervention
• Positive role models

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4. Justice Seen, Justice Done

• The legal framework (criminal / civil)
• Specialist prosecutors
• Specialist courts
• What does justice mean?
• Community buy in
• Restorative Justice?
• Enhanced sentencing

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5. Continuous Learning

• Not just a police issue
• Community reach
• Community values
• Democracy
• Rights Entitlements
• We must learn from each other other people to
  be the best that we can be

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6. Communication Engagement

• Victims potential victims
• Offenders potential offenders
• Communities (UK / international)
• Inter-agencies
• Information sharing
• Whole (cross) government approach
• Vertical / Horizontal approach

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Thank you