Forced marriage and honour violence 'worse than people think'

Charities that help victims of honour-based violence and Forced Marriage say demand on their services has never been higher. Watch the second of Kenny Toal's special reports here.

Principal of Middlesbrough College Zoe Lewis says that, while the College doesn't have a problem with honour-violence, it's important to her that her staff and students know how to spot it and deal with it.

Middlesbrough College has teamed up with the Halo Project to educate staff and students in ways to spot honour-based violence and help victims of forced marriage.

The College says it doesn't have a specific problem. But it acknowledges its students are from a diverse range of communities.

Its Principal Zoe Lewis says that enabling staff and students to know how to deal with the problem means they can help those in trouble at an early stage.

There are claims that honour-based violence in communities across the North East goes unreported because people are frightened of being branded racist.

An investigation by ITV Tyne Tees has revealed that those involved in helping victims of forced marriage and honour-based violence believe the scale of the problem is growing.

Claire Phillipson from Wearside Women in Need says that while the number of people approaching her for help is alarming, what is more worrying is the number who are not.

ITV Tyne Tees has investigated the scale of forced marriage in the region. Organisations who are involved in helping victims say the problem is worse than many think. Watch the first of Kenny Toal's two special reports here.

Organisations set-up to help victims of forced marriage and honour-based violence say the problem is worse than people think.

The Halo Project was set up to help people in the Tees Valley just over a year ago and in that time has helped more than 100 victims.

Chief executive Yasmin Khan says that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Across the region women's refuges say more than half of those being looked after are victims of forced marriage and honour-based violence.

This woman told Correspondent Kenny Toal how her parents forced her to move from Pakistan to the UK and marry an older man.

What they didn't know was he was a convicted sex offender who locked her in a room and abused her.

Hundreds of people across the North East are trapped in a marriage that is not of their choosing and facing a life of violence if they try and leave.

Organisations who work with victims of forced marriage and so-called honour-based violence say the problem is far greater than anyone imagines.

A new bill has just been passed in Parliament which will make Forced Marriage a criminal offence. That's due to become law later this year.

Today organisations who work with victims say they hope that will encourage more to come forward.