Here comes the unwilling bride...

From the Daily News:

Some 300 girls and women in New York State reported being forced into marriage in just two years - and two who refused said they almost paid with their life.

That's according to a new survey of immigrant and women's service providers that sought to quantify the extent of the practice here and in other states.

Advocates say the problem cuts across cultural borders and is so widespread - 3,000 cases nationwide - that the U.S. needs stronger laws to stop it from happening.

"Some women who do say 'No' suffer very dire consequences," said Archana Pyati, a lawyer for the New York City-based Sanctuary for Families.

Forced marriage is different from arranged marriage because it happens without consent and can involve an underage victim.

Some city teens fly to their parents' homeland for what they think is a vacation and wind up stuck in a marriage against their will. Others face beatings or worse if they refuse a wedding here - sometimes by parents who stand to gain financially by the union.