A TOTTENHAM man who forced his twelve-year-old daughter into marriage and allowed her to be raped by her teenage "husband" was found guilty of the crime on Wednesday.

The father, who cannot be named to protect his daughter's identity, abducted his daughter from her mother's house and took her to a house in south London on March 22, 2008, where he staged an illegal marriage between the schoolgirl and her 16-year-old cousin.

The boy, now 17, was also found guilty of rape alongside his parents, both aged 54, and the schoolgirl's father who a jury at Wood Green Crown Court, in Lordship Lane, found guilty of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

It was the schoolgirl's mother who alerted the police fearing the worst after realising her husband had taken daughter to his brother's house without her permission.

Police arrested the four people in April 2008 and they were subsequently charged. The three-and-a-half week trial is the second case to be heard following a hung jury earlier in 2009.

In a statement the victim's mother said: "What happened to my daughter was a nightmare but today's convictions will help us move on.

She added: "If you have been forced into a marriage or have been victim to such sexual abuse, there is help out there. The police will help you. Do not feel frightened to speak out."

The mother gave special thanks to the Detective Inspector Noel McHugh and Detective Hodges, of Haringey police's child abuse team, whom she said had been "very supportive" throughout the case.

Detective Inspector Noel McHugh, who led the investigation, said: "This has been an exceptionally challenging investigation and we are grateful to all those who assisted with the case and ensured these convictions today.

"The offences committed are incomprehensible and the victim is a truly brave girl who suffered at the hands of those who should have offered her protection. She and her mother assisted the investigation throughout and, due to their courage, we have been able to ensure justice here today."

The inspector said they were "indebted to" Haringey Council's children services, the National Association of Muslim Police and the Henna Foundation, who help women cope with forced marriages, for their expert guidance.

All four have been bailed to appear at the Wood Green court for sentencing on December 22, 2009.

A 2008 study found that more than 3000 girls and women were forced into marriage in the UK each year.

Unlike arranged marriages where both partners are usually willing participants, in a forced marriage "brides" are often coerced into marrying men they have never met before against their will and leading to situations where they may be exposed to emotional and physical abuse and, in some cases, forced imprisonment.

Forced marriages, which are illegal in the UK, exist in Muslim communities as well as some African and Chinese cultures.