It is a long way from the Outer Hebrides to Lahore. For 12-year old Molly Campbell, who is suspected of taking that route on Friday with her estranged father, it may also have been a one-way journey to the effective imprisonment that is forced marriage. An unwilling journey, in other words, that stands as an outrage to the most fundamental of British rights and values.

The full facts of the Campbell case are not yet known. But for years politicians have been wringing their hands over under-age girls being abducted and forced into unwanted marriages in their families’ country of origin. The Government’s Forced Marriage Unit has dealt with more than a thousand cases of British people of both sexes being married against their will since it was set up in 2000. But far too little has been done to stem the tide. Reunite, the international child abduction centre, says that it deals with between three and four hundred new abductions every year, and that the number of cases involving Pakistan is actually increasing.

Experts believe that there are many more cases that do not come to light, because it is so difficult for young girls to protest against family decisions. The so-called “honour” cult that inspires some parents to abduct their children back “home”, rather than risk them meeting someone of a different race in the country where they have settled, can also make some girls feel bound to resign themselves to their fate. It is a horrible one. The marriage may only be the start of violence and abuse. Suicide rates among young Asian women in Britain are more than three times the national average, and about 12 women every year die as a result of honour killings, the medieval revenge that awaits those who dare to stand up and say “no”.

Britain should regard all young women, regardless of their origin, as individuals and not possessions. It is not enough to do nothing, for fear of offending cultural sensitivities. It is not enough to wait for “community leaders”, many of whom tacitly approve of forced marriage, to change hearts and minds.

In June the Government decided not to introduce a specific law to outlaw forced marriage. During the consultation period, the Muslim Council of Britain and other groups argued strongly that such a law would stigmatise their communities. Ministers professed suddenly to be concerned about driving the practice “underground” — although it is hard to think of how these abuses could be much deeper hidden — and decided that existing laws against child abduction and false imprisonment were sufficient. They were also concerned, rightly, that victims would be reluctant to involve police and prosecutors in their private lives. The result has been a cop-out.

Fortunately, others are prepared to show more resolve against such essentially flawed thinking. Lord Lester of Herne Hill is crafting a Private Member’s Bill that would offer victims and potential victims of forced marriage the right to seek civil remedies: an injunction before the event and compensation after. This approach deserves serious consideration. For a minority of people who have settled in this country, a change of mind-set is needed. But until that happens, the law must send a clear signal that coerced marriage is absolutely unacceptable.