England: Event calls on experts to help tackle ‘honour’-based crimes

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) invited specialist organisations to scrutinise the handling of these cases – which can include female genital mutilation and forced marriage - as part of its first national ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) scrutiny panel.

The first session brought together women’s and victim support organisations, police and prosecutors to examine real cases and identify what more could have been done to spot signs of abuse.

Jaswant Narwal, CPS national lead for HBA, female genital mutilation and forced marriage, said: “Victims of ‘honour’-based abuse often suffer in silence, trapped by fear and loyalty, and terrified of speaking out against those closest to them.

“These crimes are not only hidden – they are also evolving – and that is why we need to bring stakeholders and partners into the room to work out what we’re getting right, and what we need to address better.

“We are determined to shine a light on this abuse and play our part to secure justice for those who feel they have no voice.”

The panel gave those gathered the opportunity to ask representatives of the CPS questions about a handful of cases. Specialist organisations were able to provide expert insight, including into the impact of offending on victims’ behaviour and responses and how they could have been better supported.

It also explored the potential impact of a new statutory legal definition of HBA, announced by the government, which aims to ensure consistency in how these crimes are identified and recorded.

HBA offences are frequently underreported because victims can face pressure and the fear of repercussions from their abusers who are often members of their own families or communities. These crimes can be deeply hidden, creating additional layers of consideration for prosecutors.

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP attended the opening session of the panel to set out the UK government’s ambition in tackling HBA and lead a discussion on the challenges victims face in disclosing female genital mutilation (FGM) and engaging with the criminal justice system.

She said: “Honour-based abuse is abhorrent and hiding behind traditions to carry out these acts, such as female genital mutilation, is unacceptable. Nobody should have to experience these awful crimes, and we must be relentless in bringing perpetrators to justice.”