header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
14 January 2022 / Imran Khodabocus
Issue: 7962 / Categories: Features , Family , Criminal
printer mail-detail

Honour-based abuse— a dose of reality

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
68400
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.

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

Commercial property and child law teams expand with senior hires

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Set expands London and Singapore offering with senior international disputes hires

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Firm strengthens real estate and litigation teams with partner promotions

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Uber’s legal shield faces scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic
Uber has built a formidable strategy for insulating itself from liability for drivers’ conduct, but the legal terrain differs sharply between the US and England and Wales
NLJ this week: Is it finally time to scrap Part III?
The Civil Justice Council’s review of Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974 could mark the end of what one commentator calls an ‘outdated’ and overly technical regime governing solicitor-client fee disputes
NLJ this week: Hereditary peers era finally comes to an end
The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 marks a constitutional watershed by severing the centuries-old link between hereditary titles and automatic membership of the upper chamber
NLJ this week: Courts tighten scrutiny of AI and public power
Artificial intelligence, proportionality and public decision-making are under increasing judicial scrutiny, according to the latest public law round-up from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
NLJ this week: Why handshake property deals rarely survive court
Families relying on informal agreements over property ownership could face costly consequences if disputes arise, the High Court has warned
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll