What is being done about forced marriages?

When Jasmin D, a young woman of Tamil origin faced a forced marriage, she found support from the Bern city authorities. With requests for advice from underage victims in particular on the rise, the Bern approach could serve as a model. The then 17-year-old refused to marry a man in India, and had a boyfriend, another Tamil, but he was from another caste. Her father threatened her, so she decided to leave the family, getting support from the Bern city authorities. His need to control her started after puberty. “It was a terror campaign without end. I didn’t know anymore who he was.” Jasmin’s case is not unique in Switzerland. The Centre of Competence against Forced Marriage in Switzerland, a Swiss organisation working across the country to eliminate forced marriages, dealt with 1,702 forced marriages cases between 2005, when it began working, and the end of 2016. Of particular concern is that 51 children under the age of 16 sought its advice last year. This compares ...