Cannot believe this bigotry

Jane10 , no one reported a 13 year married to an adult ?

Police and other agencies come across a number of situations where 13 year old girls are ' married '. It is common in Roma communities as well as Indian or Pakistani families. It's illegal and imo just 'wrong' but there aren't any quick legal or social fixes sadly

But Iam, they can arrest the man, sex with a thirteen year old is against the law

Fine in Pakistan Annie. Sickening but true. The wives don't come over until 16.

Yes Annie, I agree and know that has happened. I'm not d fending or minimising the practice whic I find abhorrent. The agencies dealing with this are under genuine pressure with increasing demands alongside shrinking resources. the 13 year old Roma bride is unlikely to support a prosecution for usi or to want to leave her husband.

I lived in an Eastern European country for 5 years. I saw too many PREGNANT Roma children. To this day I can stil remember the face of the first one I saw.

As much as we would like to change cultures in other countries we cannot, we cannot stop underage marriages anymore than we can change America's gun culture . The best hope for these young girls is education

Yes Annie but these children are living here, in the uk. Travelling communities don't tend to value education and stability in education doesn't sit easily with frequent moves.

Iam, it's their culture, seeing a pregnant child can be reported but the travelling etc is their way of life

And there are Christian communities where girls are not allowed to study beyond puberty, have to wear long skirts and long sock and scarf, and are expected to marry very young- few in the UK (although I did teach some from extreme brethrens who did have to leave school much against their wishes-) but mainly in Africa and parts of the USA. Not a generally 'Christian' thing- but part of their kind of Christianity, and 'normal' in their cultural group, the Amish, Mormons, Plymouth, and many more.

Iam64 - you're not wrong but I've seen the delight of a traveller family in an eight year old daughter who was a good reader. In a secondary school a 15 year old traveller was thrilled to understand the basics of division. My impression was that the girls were indeed expected to mostly marry in their teens but always in a Catholic Church and certainly not under the age of 16. Young but not illegal.

I've worked a lot with Irish travellers and confirm that education is increasingly recognised as essential. Families know that literacy and numeracy are essential. I genuinely enjoyed involvement in that community and don't mean that remark to be patronising in any way.
I know less about the Roma community but have attended events at Manchester uni where a research programme into Roma in the uk is ongoing. The last one was also attended by a number of young men from the Roma community it now studying at Manchester metropolitan uni. They talked about how difficult it was to get an education in Eastern Europe where (the said) schools turned them away because of their heritage. One of the speakers was the head teacher at the primary school these young men attended in a very deprived area of Manchester. Her school has the highest number of Roma children and I do know the school well.
sorry for this long post, going back to the OP I hope to clarify my earlier comments weren't intended to be bigoted but only to express the needs of various communities who are easily seen as all bad.

Just read a report re the population of Leicester and the Pakistani population is only 1.6 % despite having over 50% foreigners in town.
So I imagine that some of us who live in cities where most of the Asian residents are Pakistanis, may wll have a very different view of multiculturalism as mine. Leicester is perhaps the most tolerant, vibrant and working multicultural town in the UK. I just loved it.