New measures will be introduced to crack down on so-called “honour-based” abuse, the government has announced.
Honour-based abuse (HBA) is motivated by the perception that a person has brought shame to themselves, their family or the community. Related crimes include female genital mutilation, forced marriage and murder.
In 2021, pregnant Fawziyah Javed, 31, died when she was pushed from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh by her husband after she decided to leave the marriage.
New statutory guidance and a legal definition of honour-based abuse will be brought in to help combat the crime, the government has said.
The Home Office will pilot a study looking at how widespread this crime is, a community awareness campaign will be launched and teachers, police officers, social workers and healthcare professionals will receive more training under the new policies.
The measures have been backed by specialist organisations targeting honour-based abuse.
Yasmin Javed, the mother of Ms Javed, has also welcomed the changes.
“As Fawziyah’s mother, I am pleased that the government has listened to our calls for a statutory definition of honour-based abuse, and that this change has been made in Fawziyah’s memory,” she said.
“I hope that this will help many more people affected by HBA and ensure that the multiple perpetrators of this abuse are properly recognised and addressed.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “All forms of honour-based abuse are devastating crimes that can shatter lives. There is no ‘honour’ in them.
“For too long, these offences have often been misunderstood by professionals, resulting in victims not getting the support they deserve.
“Make no mistake – we will use everything at our disposal to make sure perpetrators face justice and victims are protected.”
Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls said: “These crimes can cause unimaginable, long-lasting physical and mental pain for their victims.
“They have no place in our society and we must do everything we can to put a stop to them.
“This starts with a clearer definition of the crime and guidance backed in law so that the government, law enforcement and the voluntary sector can work hand-in-hand to give victims the support they deserve.
“It is also vital that we understand the true scale and nature of these crimes in England and Wales.
“This will enable us and our partners to help make sure that more victims are protected and more perpetrators face time behind bars.”
