A religious leader in Northampton is in hot water after allegedly conducting an illegal marriage between two 16-year-olds at a local mosque. Ashraf Osmani, the imam at Central Mosque Northampton, is set to appear in court next Thursday.
Authorities claim the ceremony took place in November 2023, despite new laws making it illegal for anyone under 18 to marry in England and Wales. These rules came into effect as part of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which bans underage marriages and overrides parental consent.
Osmani, a British national originally from Bangladesh, has been charged under the amended Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. The upcoming court appearance in Northampton will determine his fate in this controversial case.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops and we see how the law addresses this serious issue of child marriages in the UK. Let’s see justice served!