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14 January 2022 / Imran Khodabocus
Issue: 7962 / Categories: Features , Family , Criminal
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Honour-based abuse— a dose of reality

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Imran Khodabocus reports on the rise in honour-based abuse cases, and reflects on the similarities and differences with domestic abuse
  • Figures show rise in honour-based abuse with West Midlands, Thames Valley and Metropolitan Police reporting highest rates.
  • The wider impact of this abuse and what lawyers can do to help victims.

What defines honour-based abuse? The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) describes it as ‘an incident or crime which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community’.

The common theme in such cases is control. Where a spouse, usually a husband, dictates the lives of their partner and/or children. The issues of honour and the resulting control and violence are not limited to one particular culture, but a broad range.

New figures gleaned from national police forces show there has been a huge rise in honour-based abuse with offences rising by 74% in five years. Between 2016 and 2020 the number of violent honour-based abuse cases rose from 884 to 1,539.

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