Northampton Child Marriage Case: A Breach of Trust
By Aneeta Prem MBE, Founder, Freedom Charity
“The Northampton child marriage case is a stark reminder of the risks children still face in Britain. In this case, two 16-year-olds stood before a faith leader in a mosque and were married. That is not protection. That is betrayal. It is child abuse.”
Now Imam Ashraf Osmani, 52, of Northampton Central Mosque, faces charges for conducting a Nikah ceremony in November 2023. He is due before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on 11 September 2025, prosecuted under Section 121 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. This Act was amended by the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which raised the legal marriage age to 18 (ITV News, Telegraph).
“A child belongs in school, not at the altar.”
The Law That Protects Children
Until 2023, children aged 16 and 17 could marry in England and Wales with parental consent. Abusers exploited that loophole. As a result, many young people were forced into marriage while still legally children.
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 came into force on 27 February 2023. It raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 and criminalised any conduct intended to cause a child to marry. This includes civil, cultural, and religious ceremonies. Importantly, parental consent no longer makes it lawful.
Child marriage is not faith. It is not tradition. It is not consent. It is abuse.
Breach of Trust and Legal Firsts
The Northampton child marriage case is not the first test of this law. In September 2024, at Nottingham Crown Court, Emad Kaky, 47, a former PhD student, was convicted of conspiracy to commit Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. He had arranged for a child to be taken from the UK to Iraq, intending she would face both FGM and marriage.
The girl was rescued after a witness intervened. In October 2024, Kaky was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. However, the Court of Appeal increased this to seven years in February 2025 (CPS, Reuters, Guardian, GOV.UK).
This was the first conviction for conspiracy to commit forced marriage since the 2023 law raised the age to 18.
The Northampton prosecution is different. It involves a senior imam, a man entrusted with safeguarding his community. If proved, it is not just a criminal act but a profound breach of trust.
“A wedding ring on a child’s hand is not love. It is evidence of abuse.”
The Scale of Child Marriage
Despite legal reform, forced child marriage in the UK has not disappeared. The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) continues to handle hundreds of concerns.
In 2023, it supported 283 cases and managed 519 enquiries — 802 contacts in total (GOV.UK).
In 2024, it recorded 240 cases and 572 enquiries — 812 contacts (GOV.UK).
In addition, Family Court statistics show that hundreds of Forced Marriage Protection Orders are issued each year. Most involve children under 18.
These numbers show child marriage is not an isolated issue. It is a recurring safeguarding concern, affecting hundreds of children annually.
“A child deserves a classroom, not a wedding. A childhood, not a ceremony. A future, not a forced marriage.”
Safeguarding Without Exception
The law is clear. Children cannot marry under 18. In addition, parental consent does not make it lawful. Finally, religious ceremonies carry no authority above the law.
Safeguarding must be consistent across schools, health services, police forces, and faith institutions. Therefore, professionals need training, communities need clear messaging, and survivors need immediate support.
A Call to Act
Britain now has one of the strongest child marriage laws in the world. However, a law is only as strong as its enforcement.
The Northampton child marriage case is a test — of our courts, our safeguarding systems, and our courage to act.
Safeguarding is not negotiable. Tradition cannot shield abuse. Trust cannot excuse betrayal.
Child marriage is not faith. It is not culture. It is not consent.
It is child abuse. And in modern Britain, it has no place.
