Forced Marriage Allegations not proved. In Re L ( Forced Marriage Allegations) London Borough of Barking & Dagenham and (1) Ms Q (2) L ( Through her Children’s Guardian 2026 EWFC 158 (B)
Rebekah Wilson was instructed for the 1st Respondent Mother by Goodman Rays Shabina Begum and Aqeela Hafeez and Ami Bartholomew was instructed on behalf of the Child by Cartwright King’s Ravi Mahey.
HHJ Reardon dealt with a complex and unusual set of facts involving a 15 year girl with neither a home nor a parent in the jurisdiction. On a trip to the UK L had made allegations of forced marriage against her Mother and the Local Authority took protective steps as a result. Those allegations were not found proved and the court concluded that threshold was not satisfied. In reaching her conclusion the Judge considered the wider picture including a devoted mother, disrupted relationships and lack of family history or culture of forced marriages.
View the judgment here.
