Government announces crackdown on 'honour'-based abuse
Victims and survivors of ‘honour’-based abuse will be kept safer and more perpetrators brought to justice in a raft of new measures, as part of the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls and the Plan for Change.
New statutory guidance and a legal definition of ‘honour’-based abuse will be brought in to help the police, social workers and others better support victims and make clear that frontline staff must take these crimes seriously. It will also help stop vital information, which could hold perpetrators to account in a criminal trial, from falling through the cracks.
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On top of the new guidance, the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) will work with the police to improve how officers assess the risks posed by ‘honour’-based abuse offenders, so they can step in and support victims as soon as possible. This year, that work will focus on identifying challenges alongside what works to identify areas for improvement.
To unearth the full scale of ‘honour’-based abuse, the Home Office will pilot a prevalence study looking at how widespread this crime is, and a community awareness campaign will be launched to encourage victims to come forward.
Teachers, police officers, social workers and healthcare professionals will also receive more training to help them better spot the signs of ‘honour’-based abuse and know how to deal with suspected cases.
These measures have been backed by the charity Karma Nirvana and 22 other specialist ‘honour’-based abuse organisations. The mother of Fawziyah Javed has also welcomed the changes after her daughter’s tragic murder in 2021. Fawziyah was pushed off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland by her husband. At the time of her death, Fawziyah was pregnant and she had planned to leave the marriage.
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Recent statistics showed that 2,755 ‘honour’-based abuse related offences were recorded by the police in England and Wales. For too long, these devastating crimes which include ‘honour’-motivated killings, female genital mutilation and forced marriage, have been allowed to happen in the shadows.
Today’s measures are the latest step in the government’s efforts to tackle ‘honour’-based abuse. Earlier this year, the joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Forced Marriage Unit launched a new mission statement and action plan with the aim of improving all operations so the unit can continue to provide the best possible support to victims of forced marriage and the professionals who help them.
This remains a vital part of the government’s efforts to tackle forced marriage, a debilitating and devastating form of ‘honour’-based abuse, so victims can be supported at home and overseas.
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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, said:
Yasmin Javed, mother of Fawziyah Javed, said:
Natasha Rattu, Executive Director of Karma Nirvana, said:
Payzee Mahmod, survivor and campaigner, said:
Assistant Chief Constable Emma James, national policing lead for Honour-Based Abuse, said:
Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, said:
Jaswant Narwal, Crown Prosecution Service National Lead for ‘honour’-based abuse, said:
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