RT Article T1 Forced marriage as a lived experience: victims’ voices JF International review of victimology VO 26 IS 3 SP 344 OP 367 A1 Villacampa, Carolina LA English YR 2020 UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1734900121 AB The official response to forced marriage in the majority of European countries has been to criminalise the practice. Based on racial stereotypes and outdated Orientalist perspectives, this overlooks the prior need for appropriate empirical analysis in order to better understand the reality of the practice being regulated, and fails to provide victims with the means of protection they need beyond the framework of criminal law. Devising a suitable and effective strategy to address this form of victimisation instead requires an in-depth understanding of the effects that victims of these practices endure, and of what the victims themselves would consider best practice in terms of assistance and protection. In view of these primary objectives, after the existence of forced marriages in Spain had been demonstrated by the corresponding quantitative research, a qualitative research study followed, which was conducted through interviews with victims of forced marriage. The results are presented here. The secondary aim of the study was to draw up the basic guidelines for an integrated programme of action to address this process of victimisation. K1 Forced marriage K1 Victims’ experiences K1 Effects of victimisation K1 Victim support received K1 Victim support intended DO 10.1177/0269758019897145