Why are UK authorities ignoring honour killings?

Forced Marriages: Arranged marriages causing a wave of unreported violence For downloads and more information visit: http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=66262 There are 8 to 10 thousand forced marriages in the UK every year. As authorities are accused of taking honour crimes too lightly, girls who resist or refuse a marriage can face abuse, torture, even death. "We have kidnappings, abductions, sexual offences. Anything that you can imagine could happen does happen in the name of honour", Nazir Afzal, the Chief Prosecutor for Northwest England, tells us. Shafilia Ahmed simply wanted to be a lawyer and to make her own relationship choices. But her parents judged the 17-year-old s aspirations to be shameful to the family, so they killed her and made their other children watch the consequences of perceived dishonour. In the multi-cultural corners of the United Kingdom law enforcement authorities are struggling to address the problem. Police, in particular, have been accused of not taking honour crime seriously, ignoring clear warning signs and pleas for help. Detective Constable Palbinder Singh says part of the problem is being too culturally sensitive. "It s a ruse. We won t interfere with that family, it s their culture. Well hang on a minute, crimes are being committed, people s lives are being destroyed, people s freedoms are being suppressed." ABC Australia - Ref no. 5990 Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world s most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world s top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time. On our channel you ll find outstanding and controversial journalism covering any global subject you can imagine wanting to know about.