West Yorkshire has 'country's highest number of recorded child marriages', report by Leeds honour abuse charity Karma Nirvana claims

Leeds-based charity Karma Nirvana, which supports victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage, released a report this month providing insight into police force areas with the most recorded child marriages.

Some 34 per cent of all reported marriages involving people under the age of 18 in the UK over the past three and a half years took place in, or involved victims from West Yorkshire.

The figure was three times higher than the second-worst affected police force, which was London's Metropolitan Police.

The charity has warned that child marriage is typically deemed to be something which only occurs in developing countries, but that it was still "hidden in plain sight" in Britain.

The minimum legal age to be married in the UK is currently 18 but younger people can marry with the consent of parents. Those aged 16 or 17 can marry in Scotland without permission from parents.

However, Karma Nirvana said legal marriages involving anyone below 18 in the UK are still child marriages, as well as religious ceremonies of under-18s which are not recognised by law.

British adults are also able to marry under-18s abroad then bring them over to the UK, while many young people are still sent abroad to marry people.

Child marriage is not synonymous with forced marriage, which entails any person - child or adult - being coerced into a marriage against their will.

One survivor of honour-based abuse, Roshni*, escaped her hometown of Leeds to London and contacted Karma Nirvana last month following concerns her 15-year-old sister, Nisha*, was to be taken to India to get married.

She said: "Her life and autonomy are in danger, just like mine was when I was about to turn 16."

The charity has now urged the Government to recognise child marriage as a UK problem and not just something which occurs overseas, saying it continues to "threaten the future of thousands of girls" nationwide.

CEO Natasha Rattu said: "A generation from now will be astonished that there was ever a time when children could legally and without retribution to perpetrators, get married in England and Wales."

Karma Nirvana's report has also called for the Government to make child marriage a crime in the UK, and to introduce Child Marriage Protection Orders to provide a civil remedy to Child Marriage, similar to those for forced marriages.

Commander Ivan Balhatchet of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said: "As the National Policing Lead for Honour Based Abuse, Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, I am delighted to lend my support to this campaign to see a change in the law to prevent Child Marriage under 18.

"Society has moved on since these antiquated laws, more needs to be done to protect children when they are vulnerable between the ages of 16 and 17, not to be forced into what is effectively Child Marriage.

"A change in the law, making it clear that all marriage under 18 were a crime, would assist all parts of the criminal justice system in protecting children."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Any form of child exploitation is a serious matter and West Yorkshire Police works closely with partner agencies to raise awareness of issues such as child marriage and forced marriage by supporting national awareness events.

“We also have specially trained officers in each of our district Safeguarding Units, who work to identify and safeguard those in their areas who are thought to be at risk and can help anyone who may be affected by this or have concerns for a potential victim.

“Anyone with such concerns about child or forced marriage can contact us at any time on 101 or via the West Yorkshire Police website. Every report will be taken seriously and those affected will receive the necessary support where it is needed."

*Names changed to protect identities.