A Senior cleric in court for marrying off 2 teenagers in Northampton Central mosque.

The case has raised fresh concerns over child protection and abuse of faith roles.

An imam has been charged with illegally allowing two children to marry each other.

Ashraf Osmani, 52, of Abington Avenue, Northampton, has been charged under forced marriage legislation, according to Northamptonshire Police.

It is alleged that Osmani conducted a Nikah marriage ceremony in November 2023, involving two 16-year-old children at the Northampton Central Mosque, where he is the serving Imam, the Mosque’s most senior Muslim cleric.

Osmani, a Bangladesh-born British national, will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 11

Police said he is charged under Section 121 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, as amended by the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022.

Source: News Now