Northampton imam sentenced for underage marriage ceremony in legal first
A faith leader who officiated a wedding ceremony for an underage couple has been sentenced in the first case of its kind under new legislation banning child marriage in England and Wales.
Ashraf Osmani, 52, carried out a Nikah ceremony - a form of marriage under Islamic law - at Northampton’s Central Mosque at the request of two 16-year-olds despite the legal age rising to 18 earlier that year.
The case came to light after safeguarding concerns were reported to Northamptonshire Police.
Following a review of the evidence and careful consideration of the public interest, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised two charges of carrying out conduct for the purpose of causing a child to enter into a marriage.
Osmani pleaded guilty to both counts. Today, he was given a suspended sentence of 15 weeks' imprisonment at Northampton Crown Court.
Samantha Shallow, a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS East Midlands, said: “This prosecution enforces new legislation brought in to protect young people. Although the young people involved requested this ceremony, it is unlawful to conduct any form of binding marriage ceremony on people under the age of 18.
“Ashraf Osmani claimed he was unaware of the change in legislation, but as a significant figure in his faith community, it was his responsibility to be aware of and abide by the law.
“His failure to do so was a criminal act and this prosecution was required to protect young, vulnerable people.”
While the two young people at the centre of this case were in a consensual relationship and there was no forced element or coercion involved, the law is in place to protect children.
More broadly, victims of forced marriage often face threats, coercion, and violence, sometimes from members of their own family or community, which can make it incredibly difficult to recognise themselves as victims or report what is happening.
Our prosecutors are specially trained in ‘honour’-based abuse and understand the complex dynamics involved.
They know how to prosecute these crimes robustly and sensitively, working closely with police and other partners, both nationally and overseas, to ensure victims are protected and perpetrators held accountable.
Jaswant Narwal, Crown Prosecution Service national lead for ‘honour’-based abuse, said: “This conviction sends a clear message: child marriage is illegal in England and Wales, no matter the circumstances.
“We know many ‘honour’-based offences remain shrouded in secrecy but we are determined to bring them to light and hold offenders to account.
“Anyone thinking of coming forward should know we will support you, the law will protect you and we will pursue justice relentlessly.”
Payzee Mahmod campaigned to raise the legal marriage age in England and Wales after enduring child marriage herself.
Her experience underscores the importance of protecting young people from early marriage.
She said: “As a survivor of child marriage who has campaigned for years to raise the legal marriage age, I know first-hand the lasting impact that early marriage can leave, emotionally, physically, and socially.
“Today’s sentence is a vital reminder that the justice system must continue to prioritise the protection of children and hold those who exploit them to account.
“We must also recognise that prosecutions in cases like this depend on robust data, from the police flagging honour-based abuse and forced marriage, to the Crown Prosecution Service using that data to identify trends and bring cases forward.
“Only by collecting and analysing the right information can we ensure these crimes don’t go unpunished, and that survivors’ stories are not dismissed or overlooked.
“I commend the CPS for today’s outcome, but we must not let this be the exception. We need sustained commitment to bring more perpetrators to justice, and to prevent child marriages in the first place.”
Notes to editors
- Ashraf Osmani (DoB 22/02/1973) pleaded guilty to two counts of carrying out conduct for the purpose of causing a child to enter into a marriage, contrary to the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act as amended by the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022.
- On 19 January 2026 he was sentenced to 15 weeks' imprisonment in relation to the female victim and 12 weeks' imprisonment in relation to the male victim, both suspended for one year and to run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge and £150 court costs.
- Reporting restrictions are in place to prevent the identification of the victims for their lifetimes.
- The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 came into force on 27 February) 2023, making it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to marry in England and Wales. This means 16- and 17-year-olds can no longer marry or enter a civil partnership, even if they have parental consent.
- Samantha Shallow is a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East Midlands.
- Jaswant Narwal is Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North.
- This case is the first of its kind since the new legislation came into force in February 2023. The latest CPS data shows a total number of 25 cases (41 charged offences overall) of forced marriage have commenced and reached a first hearing at magistrates’ court since forced marriage became an offence in 2015.
- The CPS uses an ‘honour’-based abuse flag as an internal marker to identify and record cases where there has been an incident or crime that falls within the CPS definition of ‘honour’-based abuse. This helps ensure cases are properly tracked, prosecuted, and monitored under our Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy. A flag remains in place, even if a decision is taken to charge an alternate offence or where a charge is subsequently amended.
- The CPS defines ‘honour’-based abuse as an incident or crime involving violence, threats of violence, intimidation coercion or abuse (including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, or emotional abuse) which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of an individual, family and/ or community for alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community's code of behaviour.
- A legal definition of ‘honour’-based abuse, announced by the government earlier this year, will help all agencies involved to have a more consistent approach to these cases, a better understanding of trends and signpost victims to support.
- The CPS held its first national ‘honour’-based abuse conference earlier this year and will hold its second conference in early 2026. The first CPS national scrutiny panel on this issue took place in December 2025. The learnings will inform future prosecution guidance, training, and updates to joint protocols setting out how police and prosecutors should work together, reinforcing a whole-system approach to tackling these hidden crimes.