Dozens of missing schoolchildren feared forced into arranged marriages

Look closely at the photo.

There’s an expression that goes (paraphrasing), ”the eyes are the windows into the soul”.

Look at the expression on the girl’s face. Look at her eyes. They portray a child who is terrified and alone. Well, I can only think that these young future brides are so lucky. After all, she will have the pleasure of latching onto that middle-aged, peak of his virility and earnings potential, dynamic of intellect, power of personality, ready to challenge the world, tower of power… drum roll please…Habib.Yes… Habib… behind an unassuming appearance of a… well… toothless, bearded, illiterate, boob lies the heart of a tiger, the pinnacle of islamist manhood.

We all know that a child like this is consigned to a life of misery, subservience and helplessness. It’s obscene.

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Dozens of children are missing from school amid fears they have been forced into arranged marriages, it was revealed yesterday.

In Bradford, 33 children remain "unaccounted for" after being off school for at least two months with no explanation.

The Government is also concerned about another 14 areas of the country where it is feared children under 16 could also be missing from school rolls.

Awaiting their fate: Young brides wait for their grooms in a mass arranged wedding in Bangladesh The figures were disclosed yesterday by Children's Minister Kevin Brennan during evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, which is investigating the controversial issue of forced marriages.

He revealed the results of worrying inquiries by officials in Bradford, a city with a substantial Asian population. Mr Brennan said Bradford City Council lost track of 205 youngsters last year. Further inquiries had established the whereabouts of 172 - leaving 33 unaccounted for.

"It is a serious concern when any child - any single child - becomes unaccounted for," said Mr Brennan.

"And what we need to try to do is seek an explanation of what has happened."

Asked whether the police were looking for them, he added: "They should be."

Committee chairman Keith Vaz, a former Labour minister, said MPs were "very, very concerned".

"The figures you have given us quite frankly have shocked members of this committee just in relation to Bradford," he said.

He added: "There are 14 other areas where there are missing children. This is totally unsatisfactory."

The MPs demanded a report with more details about the "missing" children be ready by next Tuesday.

The national Forced Marriage Unit was set up three years ago to tackle the problem regarded as "an abuse of human rights and a form of domestic violence".