A FORCED marriage involves duress and lack of consent from both parties. In an arranged marriage, the families organise the marriage but the choice of whether to accept the arrangement is up to the couple. That's the theory. If only it was that clear. While forced marriages often involve violence to get a woman to submit, arranged marriages can involve mental manipulation. One is a crime, the other is not.

The story of a 14-year-old Melbourne girl, betrothed by her parents to a 17-year-old boy whom she had never met and who lives in another country, is horrifying. The Family Court this week banned her from leaving Australia to save her from what has been described as an arranged marriage.