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What is the difference between an arranged marriage and a forced one?

It's seems a big difference - it's a question of choice.

Listen: Factfile

What actually is a 'Forced Marriage'?听 成人论坛 Leicester's Bridget Blair explains...

Leicester was chosen as the centre stage where a new forced marriage act was announced by the Government.

Justice Minister Bridget Prentice visited the city to launch it.

The act will aim to counter the the frighteningly frequent incidences of forced marriage, where victims are coerced into marrying someone against their will.听

It's an abuse of human rights which most believe cannot be justified on any religious or cultural grounds.

Listen: Bali Rai on Forced Marriage

Leicester author Bali Rai has written a book entitled "Unarranged Marriage". He talks to 成人论坛 Leicester's Tony Wadsworth about his views on the subject...

It's written from a male Sikh perspective and reflects his passionate feelings on the subject.

Bali says forced marriages affect both sexes although that isn't widely reported. He says he has seen this first-hand:

"It's a situation I've seen in my own family for many years. I always thought it was a pretty barbaric, strange thing to happen in England."

Bali was touched by the subject so much that he was inspired to write about it:

"The actual story is fiction, but I've based it on around three or four people I did my research on."

"Arrange marriage is steeped in culture but forced marriage different. It's about parental control over kids. So what you get is a very macho view particularly in northern Indian communities like in Pakistan and the Punjab.

"It's all about honour and it has very little to do with freedom. It's about being told what to do and when to do it."

Prevalent in the UK

Bali says it's definitely a problem in the UK.

"It's something that happens, but it's under the surface. We never talked about.

"I think this whole debate about making it illegal will start a trend. It will set a boundary.

"It's been excused all the time as a cultural thing. This is a modern country with liberal laws.

"The minute it becomes illegal people will have a course in law and hopefully that will start changing attitudes."

Listen: One Woman's Story

The law comes too late for some people. One victim talks to 成人论坛 Leicester's Tony Wadsworth about how her family forced her into a marriage without her consent...

She hasn't been named to protect her identity. She says she was tricked into thinking she was being taken on a family holiday. Instead her family had other plans.

"I was naive, but I went to Pakistan when I was 13 years old and six weeks later I was forced to marry this older guy.

"He was in his late twenties. The only way I was told I was going to return to the UK was to get pregnant. I didn't know what that meant on even how to get pregnant. All I could do was to pray.

"I didn't know anything. It was horrible. I became pregnant and returned to England. I was a mum at 14.

"I had a son and my son started to get the same abuse that I did. He used to get beaten at an early age. It was just awful watching him.

"I left with him. He was the answer to my prayers.

"I wasn't married in the religion. I went to the mosque and spoke to imam (preacher) who told me my marriage wasn't valid. I was free to go. But culturally I'm still considered married.

"My son is now 25 years old and my family still say come back home and go back to your family."

She says the times have now changed and hopes this new act will help make a difference:

"I didn't know anywhere or anything that could help me, but today there are organisations out there that can help."