The government has announced a 'crack down' in ‘Honour’-based abuse with raft of new measures.
The measures include new statutory guidance and a legal definition of ‘honour’-based abuse, 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, 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.
Rohma Ullah, Head of Barnardo’s National FGM Centre, said:
“Honour-based abuse has a devastating and deadly impact on the lives of children and vulnerable adults. There has long been a clear need to address this harmful practice, and a distinct lack of awareness and understanding amongst many professionals.
“Until now, interventions and support for victims and survivors haven’t been strong enough. Because of this, children and adults have been overlooked and missed out on the support and care they have needed to overcome the trauma they have experienced. This has been unacceptable.
“We’re proud to have worked with the government and sector partners to see new measures come into place to tackle honour-based abuse.
“With this new statutory guidance and a legal definition of honour-based abuse, a number of measures are being introduced. These include specialist training for multi-agency professionals to understand the issue, how to identify it, and how to report concerns and support victims and survivors. There will also be a prevalence study to understand how widespread the issue is, and specific work with the police.
“This monumental move is crucial in the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, and support victims and survivors to ensure they get the help they need.
“We look forward to working with the government to ensure long-term funding is available to make sure specialist services are adequately resourced and front-line practitioners are trained both to prevent honour-based abuse, but also to make sure victims and survivors can access the right support and protections they deserve.”