We feel that many things are already covered in the Criminal Code, such as female genital mutilation. When has that provision been used? It has been used once, and the case was dropped.
Criminalizing forced marriage would indeed send a clear message. However, would it prevent forced marriages? Would it eradicate them? I'm not so sure of that. There is also a provision on human trafficking. How many times has it been used? If the goal is to send a message to Canadians, there may be ways other than criminalization to do so.
In addition, when it comes to forced marriages, the matter of evidence is a significant problem. To an extent, it's her word against his. What's particular about this form of violence is that the aggressor is not only the husband or the family, but rather the husband, the family, the in-laws, the community and the extended family. In the case of Banaz Mahmod, who was killed in the United Kingdom, some 50 people were involved in her murder.