Upward trend in forced marriage protection orders continuing, says Ministry of Justice

New data has revealed a continuation in the long-term upward trend in forced marriage protection orders from their introduction in November 2008 until the end of 2019.

According to the Ministry of Justice’s quarterly Family Court stats, in January to March 2023, there were 51 applications. Whilst the number of applications remains similar to the equivalent quarter in 2022, almost all applications were previously for those aged 17 and under.

However, in the latest quarter this forms a smaller proportion and of the 51 applications, 73% of these were for people aged 17 and under. Over the same period, there were 81 orders made, up 19% since the same period from the previous year.

An increase in the number of orders does not necessarily represent an increase in the prevalence of forced marriage, but potentially it relates to a greater awareness of forced marriage being a crime and the support available, according to gov.uk.

Historically the numbers of orders made outweigh the number of applications. Often there are multiple orders granted per case, where one application covers more than one person, and an order is granted for each person covered in the application.

Extensions and increased provision of previous orders can also be granted as new orders, without the need for a new application to be submitted.

There were more than 400 victims that were forced into marriage in the UK over the last year.

What’s more, earlier this year, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which gained Royal Assent in April last year, made it a criminal offence to cause a child to marry, with a sentence up to seven years in prison.

As with FMPOs, the number of applications and orders made for female genital mutilation protection orders (FGMPOs) is very small, with only 17 applications and 32 orders made respectively in January to March 2023.

In total, there have been 587 applications and 840 orders made up to end of March 2023, since their introduction in July 2015.