Disabled Woman ‘Put at Risk’ s a Result of Forced Marriage

Mrs Justice Parker has criticised both doctors and social workers when a woman was sent to Bangladesh to be married to her cousin, the outcome of which allowing him to settle in the UK.

She said the video of the wedding ceremony made clear that the bride needed help to repeat vows and appeared to be almost “comatose”. This set against a backdrop of her relatives having made ‘false and misleading’ statements about her condition.

Brushing aside claims from the parents of the woman that to annul the marriage would bring shame on the family, Mrs Justice parker said that to force a marriage on someone who lacks mental capacity was a “gross interference” with their dignity and autonomy.

Utilising the far-reaching powers of the court of protection, the judge ruled that the woman’s foreign marriage should not be recognised as valid in England and that it would be in the woman’s best interests for a nullity application to be issued.

If you need to speak to a family solicitor then contact Lund Bennett on 0845 548 1007 or email us at info@lundbennett.co.uk