Forced Marriage

Andrew Johnson in the Independent highlights the issue of forced marriages and honour killings after a coroner ruled on Friday that 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed was "unlawfully killed" and that "the concept of an arranged marriage was central to the circumstances of her death."

Shafilea went missing in 2003 after claiming she feared being forced into marriage and her body was found 5 months later on a river bank in Cumbria. Members of her family, including her parents, were arrested in connection with the death, but later released without charge.

Regardless of creed or culture forced marriage and honour killings are unjustifiable and truly dishonourable.