Gay youth charity The Albert Kennedy Trust has highlighted cases of abuse, and forced marriage, of gay youths within Muslim families.

The Trust has reported instances of young gay men being forced into marriage as a way of 'curing' them of their sexuality. In one case a youth  who refused to marry was taken to a remote village in Pakistan where he was subject to beatings.

Annie Southerst, a worker for the Trust, said:
"Gay Muslims face threats of physical violence, actual violence and restriction of liberties.

"We've had people chased out of the house with knives and we have had issues around young people who had exorcisms planned to get rid of the gay demons, I suppose.

"They come to us because they're homeless, or in danger of being homeless imminently. We sort out emergency accommodation for them.

"But the biggest loss they face is the loss of their families.

"I can't imagine what it must be like to suddenly in your late teens, early 20s suddenly not to have a family anymore."  

The charity has recently taken out a number of Forced Marriage Orders which can result in people who try and force someone to marry against their will receiving two years in jail.

A government unit deals with issues of forced marriage, tackling around 1,600 cases a year. Olaf Henricson-Bell, who runs the department, said the unit often helps gay and lesbian youngsters. The unit plans to produce a training programme to help those who deal with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) youths at risk of being forced into marriage.

For more information about the Albert Kennedy Trust view:
www.akt.org.uk