Nadia Menaz, who worked as a model and a wedding planner, met her partner Umar Rasool in 2010. The couple kept their relationship secret from her parents and married him in an Islamic ceremony the following April. They had a daughter in March 2012.
Nadia Menaz has been found dead after trying to prevent her arranged marriage:https://t.co/OMMjONVczD pic.twitter.com/eqSUmKUXe8
— The Pool (@thepooluk) September 22, 2015
The ceremony is not recognized in English law and in December 2014, Nadia Menaz took out a forced marriage protection order against her father, mother and eight siblings to prevent her from being forced into an arranged marriage.
The model was found hanged five months later, the inquest heard.
#Forcedmarriage is a form of #Domestic #Violence and therefore we need to Stop it! Know more about our campaign on http://t.co/LUlpuEzS2i
— Against FM (@ForcedMarriages) September 17, 2015
Forced marriage protection orders (FMPO) are designed to prevent arranged marriages when someone is forced to marry against their will. Local authorities are given powers by the court to seize passports to stop people being taken abroad to marry.
A potential victim can apply for a FMPO at county courts in England and Wales or at a High Court if they are threatened with forced marriage — or already in one. The court order includes measures to prevent the marriage from taking place, confiscating a passport, or restrictions on contacting the victim.
Police can use Forced Marriage Protection Orders to protect victims & potential victims. Breaching these could lead to 5years in prison
— WestYorkshire Police (@WestYorksPolice) July 16, 2015
Breaching the court order constitutes contempt of court, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years.
At the inquest into the death of Ms Menaz, who took out a forced protection order five months before she died, the hearing was told that she had a "very strained" relationship with her parents and that her father had "issues" with her choice of partner and that she had also been suffering from depression and self-harming.
Classmates, colleagues or friends nt returned frm their holidays as planned? If you're worried abt #forcedmarriage call the #FMU 02070080151
— Forced Marriage Unit (@FMUnit) September 21, 2015
Mandy Sanghera, human rights activist and government adviser on forced marriage, told Sputnik that it's tragic it's taken this case to be published on the front pages for the crisis in the UK to be highlighted.
"Legislation and policies are only as good as the resources we have. Local authorities and courts can put out these forced marriage protection orders — but then it's a case of 'there you go, off you go' and that's not good enough," Sanghera told Sputnik.
"In no other circumstance would you ever send a victim of domestic abuse or child abuse back to the perpetrator. So why should we send forced marriage victims back to their family for them to be put under more emotional stress? We then don't know what goes on behind closed doors."
"I've been campaigning to break this loophole in forced marriage protection orders and it is tragic that another life has gone to highlight the crisis. We need to close that loophole," said Sanghera.
The inquest into Ms Menaz's death will be concluded at a later date. Her father Sabir Hussain and her mother Ruksana Kousar deny attempting to force their daughter into a marriage.
The UK's Forced Marriage Unit which is run by the Home Office and the Foreign Office deals with around 1,200 cases a year.
