Minimum marriage age rises to 18 in England and Wales

A caller instrumentality expanding the ineligible property of matrimony to 18 has travel into unit successful England and Wales.

Previously radical could get joined astatine 16 oregon 17 if they had parental consent and determination was nary instrumentality against ceremonies for younger children which were not registered with section councils.

The caller authorities besides covers non-legally binding ceremonies.

The authorities said the changes would assistance support susceptible children from being forced into marriage.

Previously forced matrimony was lone an offence if coercion, specified arsenic threats, was used.

But nether the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act, it is present amerciable to put for children to wed nether immoderate circumstances, whether oregon not unit is used.

Those recovered blameworthy of the offence look up to 7 years successful prison.

The changes bash not use successful Scotland and Northern Ireland, wherever the minimum property for matrimony volition stay 16. In Northern Ireland parental consent is required for those nether 18 but not successful Scotland.

Campaigner Payzee Mahmod is simply a subsister of kid matrimony and her sister Banaz was murdered successful a alleged honour sidesplitting aft leaving her husband, who she was forced to wed astatine the property of 17.

She said seeing the caller instrumentality travel into unit successful England and Wales was "probably 1 of the astir important days of my life".

"It's precise affectional for maine due to the fact that I cognize truly, successful large detail, the harms of kid marriage," she told BBC News.

"I've personally been done it, I've seen my sister spell done it. And I've seen the devastating impacts that it tin person for truthful galore women and girls.

"When they effort to permission kid marriages, the eventual punishment is decease and this is precisely what happened successful my sister's case."

Payzee said the changes would mean "the onus is nary longer connected the kid to person to talk up against their parents oregon their assemblage erstwhile they are faced with kid marriage".

In 2021 the government's Forced Marriage Unit provided enactment successful 118 cases involving victims who were nether 18.

However, campaigners judge authoritative figures bash not bespeak the existent standard of the occupation arsenic different victims whitethorn not person been capable to scope retired for support.

The foundation Karma Nirvana, which supports victims of forced marriage, hopes the caller instrumentality volition assistance summation recognition and reporting of kid marriage.

Director Natasha Rattu said it was "a immense leap guardant to tackling this usually hidden maltreatment and volition supply a greater grade of extortion to those astatine risk".

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: "Those who enactment to manipulate children into marrying under-age volition present rightly look the afloat unit of the law."

However, Mihai Bica, from the Roma Support Group, said helium was acrophobic astir however the changes would beryllium communicated to communities and those enforcing the caller law.

He explained that successful Roma communities the connection "married" could beryllium utilized to picture a boyfriend-girlfriend narration and "cultural misunderstanding" mightiness effect successful "serious implications for families who should not beryllium taxable to this law".

Mr Bica called for grooming of unit truthful they were not "influenced by the existing stereotypes" erstwhile assessing Roma families.

The changes, which had cross-party support, were introduced done a measure brought to Parliament by Conservative MP Pauline Latham.