I’M calling for the end of a culture of inaction from Government and schools in tackling forced marriage.

Many young people won’t return after the school holidays.

There needs to be a dismantling of the wider societal apathy towards those being affected about what is serious human rights abuse and slavery.

As a result of this inaction from Government, what we have is the abandonment, and segregation, of human rights.

I am calling for leadership and a comprehensive plan of action that will tackle forced marriage across all aspects of our society.

In 2015 David Cameron spoke about a culture of passive tolerance and said: “I’ll tell you where it leads: To children, British children, going to Pakistan in the summer holidays, before they’ve even started their GCSEs and forced to marry a man they’ve never met…”

Schools and teachers are pivotal to the front line of protection and need to realise that there can be no fear to take action.

It has to be made clear that forced marriage is not an untouchable issue to be ignored and to be put on the sidelines and that for the perpetrators there will be severe legal consequences.

There is a devastating gross failure from Government and frontline services.

There is no excuse for the inaction and the cynical attitudes of ‘it’s your culture’, these are the very barriers that entrap lives and also allow these barbaric practices to continue.

We need more schools to be engaged in our outreach programme and to be a part of collective action to fight this scourge and to protect lives.

Forced marriage is a part of modern slavery and should be considered an outrage by everyone.

Our collective futures depend on each of us upholding our fundamental human rights confronting violations, speaking out for those at risk and taking action to dismantle them.

ALEX LEWIS -JONES Founder of In Memory of Shafilea Ahmed