This is the heart-stopping moment a Foreign Office employee helped a young Brit escape a forced marriage by sneaking her out of Baghdad on her 18th birthday.
Case worker Sophie Lott has been hailed as a hero after coming to the aid of a British national who had been sent to live in Iraq where her family planned to force her to marry her cousin.
New BBC Two documentary Inside the Foreign Office captured the moment she landed safely on British soil at Heathrow airport - where the emotional teen said, 'Pinch me, am I dreaming?'
The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), where Sophie works, deals with over 1,000 cases a year across 65 countries, and works closely with the Home Office to prevent British victims being taken from the UK and to take back those already abroad.
Pictured left, the British national who had been sent to live in Iraq where her family planned to force her to marry her cousin. A heart-stopping scene in last night's Inside the Foreign Office saw the teen escape back to the UK with the help of the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU)
Sophie is a former probation officer who used to work with perpetrators of 'honour-based' violence in east London, and now helps victims at the Foreign Office's FMU.
Her latest case involved a 17-year-old girl who had been orphaned in Britain and sent to live with relatives in Iraq.
As the girl approached her 18th birthday, Sophie discovered that the teen's family in Baghdad had made it clear that if she didn't marry her cousin, she would be killed.
Using a secret communication lifeline, Sophie worked closely with the consul at the British embassy in Baghdad to try to meet her, bring her to the embassy and arrange for her escape back to the UK before her family found out she had gone.
The family had threatened to have her killed if she tried to escape to the UK, Sophie explained.
Sophie Lott, pictured, works to help women at risk of forced marriage at the Foreign Office. She said: 'I think the default with most of our victims is that they believe their families are good and they're good people and that they love them; it's just this one issue that's a problem'
Sophie at work, trying to reassure her victim in Baghdad. Using a secret communication lifeline, she worked closely with the consul at the British embassy in Iraq to try to meet her, bring her to the embassy and arrange for her escape to the UK before her family found out
To make matters more difficult, the journey had to be completed on the day of the girls's 18th birthday because travelling overseas as a minor would raise suspicions; and the marriage was expected to take place as soon as she came of age.
The teen had been out of the country for so long, she no longer had a British passport - and getting her to the British Embassy in Baghdad was fraught with risks.
Fortunately her birthday fell on a Sunday - the only day she is allowed out of the house to study - and once the arrangements had finally been made, the pair agreed to take advantage of their 'tiny window of opportunity' and meet at Heathrow airport.
'I was anxious at first, really frightened of course, but really, really happy,' the teen confessed as she prepared to fly back to the UK. 'In my opinion, every single girl in the world should be the one to choose who she wants to complete her life with.
Once the arrangements had finally been made, the pair agreed to take advantage of their 'tiny window of opportunity' and meet at Heathrow airport (pictured: Sophie waiting at arrivals)
Relief: Sophie meets the teen at Heathrow airport. Her family had threatened to have her killed if she tried to escape to the UK, Sophie explained
After touching down at Heathrow, the teen repeatedly said, 'Pinch me, am I dreaming?' The teen was referred to a women's refuge charity to help her settle back to life in the UK
Sophie meets the teen at Heathrow airport. Reflecting on the case, she later said: 'It's really sad to think that the people who are supposed to love you and protect you are the people who are causing you those problems'
'Other people shouldn't get involved, it's your choice to make, a marriage should last a lifetime and it's really horrible for someone to force you to marry someone you want.'
She and Sophie shared an emotional reunion at the airport terminal, with the tearful teen repeatedly saying: 'I'm so happy. Pinch me, am I dreaming?'
Sophie reassured her: 'It's OK, you don't have to turn back. I'm so glad you're here. Everyone's so, so happy. We know so many cases where, sadly, people don't have to the courage to do what you did. I'm so excited to see you'
The teen was referred to a women's refuge charity to help her settle back to life in the UK.
Viewers have heaped praise on Sophie, with one tweeting: 'The woman from the Forced Marriage Unit should be in charge of Brexit. She'd sort it out pretty sharpish.'
Viewers have heaped praise on Sophie, with one tweeting: 'The woman from the Forced Marriage Unit should be in charge of Brexit. She'd sort it out pretty sharpish'
Sophie Lott, pictured, is a former probation officer who used to work with perpetrators of 'honour-based' violence in east London, and now helps victims at the Foreign Office's FMU
Others called the show 'outstanding' with Jocelyn Cornwell tweeting: 'Who knew that there were such fabulous people doing fabulous work for their fellow citizens? I didn't and was v moved by the humanity and care revealed Inside the Foreign Office.'
Reflecting on the case, Sophie later said: 'It's really sad to think that the people who are supposed to love you and protect you are the people who are causing you those problems.
'And that can be very hard for them to face - but when they do, they know that there's lots of support thereafter.'
She added: 'I think the default with most of our victims is that they believe their families are good and they're good people and that they love them; it's just this one issue that's a problem.
'And the reality is for a lot of them, yes they haven't done anything to you thus far in your life but they are the ones presenting a risk - and sadly, you need to safeguard yourself and protect yourself from that.'
Linkhienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/30/inside-the-foreign-office-case-worker-helps-teen-escape-forced-marriage/
Main photo article This is the heart-stopping moment a Foreign Office employee helped a young Brit escape a forced marriage by sneaking her out of Baghdad on her 18th birthday.
Case worker Sophie Lott has been hailed as a hero after coming to the aid of a British national who had been sent to live in Iraq where...
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Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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