Forced marriage mother tries to kill her baby

[uptheduffagain]

This is a tragic story for all involved

Thankfully the baby has survived

But perhaps it's not suprising how unfairly this has been handled by the justice system when you consider that in 2009 rapists can still receive such woefully inadequate sentences that their victims prefer to keep silent rather than go through the hell of court, where even their underwear can be paraded to the jury as 'evidence.' Consider the thread on the caustic soda gang rapists whose sentences had to be increased after an appeal (frankly even the increase was pathetic) and this despite their victim being physically and mentally scarred for life. I really don't think that cases relating to harm of a womans' body and mind are really considered as serious. It's 2009. How sad.

Why do some posters say that the woman will be considered a pariah if she returns home? I think the one thing the woman wants more than anything is to be able to return to the love and care of her family back home with her baby.

Is it not possible for a judge to award custody to the woman's family, for the baby to be sent to BD while the woman serves her sentence here? I think the baby girl should be kept as far away as possible from the horrible father and his family.

I actually know some women like this and feel for them, some of them have become so unhappy in their marriages that they are mentally unstable and it is often obvious that the treatment they have received from their inlaws/husbands has contributed to/caused their mental instability as well as facters like culture shock and isolation felt away from their home countries where people actually cared about them.

having said that stabbing an 8 month old is an indication of severe mental illness (which i believe is the case) or pure evil (i doubt).

megapixels: I am partly reaching my own conclusions there. But in the article whilst she expresses a wish to remain in the UK to stay with her daughter, she also says "I dare not go back home."

I think the whole issue was that it was impossible for her to return home, unless she left her daughter behind. The situation that led to this tragedy seems to be the fact that she couldn't walk free from her husband and inlaws and go back to the support of her family with her child. If she had been smarter she would have secretly collected evidence against the husband and his family and used that to divorce him and get sole custody of the child. However being trapped inside the house with these monsters and not knowing English to get outside help she would have been driven half out of her mind with frustration and loneliness to commit this act.

I think at the UK embassies in these countries when women come in to apply for a spousal visa they need to be clearly told the rules of the UK regarding this. That if the marriage were to break down and there were kids there is the possibility that the woman will never be able to return home unless they left their children behind. I do wonder if they know that when they leave their homes to go to a country totally alien to them.

2kidz, what she said to the judge at the end seems to be the poor woman's last-ditch attempt to be allowed to have contact with her child.

you know that's a good idea re Women's Aid dittany

the other aspect of women being imprisoned is the domestic working visa issue . I have heard of 'nannies and housekeepers' being brought over here and then getting paid an extremely low amount for working all hours (like 7 days a week). And they are stuck with their employers because their visa is dependent on them working for that family. It is absolutely shocking.

A friend works in a lawyers office and was telling me how her boss loves his Filipino live in help because they'll work all the hours god gives for virtually no cash and still be grateful . Think it is just horrific.

I wish there was more that could be done. I think these people are not aware of their rights and often afraid of speaking out.

even if she did hate the baby and wanted to kill it for that reason (unlikely I'd say)- how can that be comparable to a man who kills a baby: what man was ever compelled to bear a child against his wishes? if men could be raped and made pregnant- yes, then I'd agree that the cases would be equal