PG24. 'Honour' Based Abuse

1.1

Honour based violence is the term used to describe incidents of violence, including murder ("honour killings"), that have been committed in the belief that those actions will protect or defend the honour of the family and / or community. The victims of such off incidents are predominantly woman, perceived to have behaved immorally and deemed to have breached the honour code of a family and / or community, causing shame.

The Metropolitan Police definition of so-called honour based violence is: 'a crime or incident, which has or may been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community'.

1.2

Professionals should respond in a similar way to cases of honour violence as with domestic abuse and forced marriage (i.e. in facilitating disclosure, developing individual safety plans, ensuring the child's safety by according them confidentiality in relation to the rest of the family, completing individual risk assessments etc). See Domestic Abuse Procedure and Forced marriage of a child Procedure.

Karma Nirvana's Survivor Ambassador Panel has developed its own definition:

‘Honour Based Abuse is a complex issue that can manifest itself in different ways; includes a range of harms and abuses; and can be perpetrated by a range of people.

While there is no statutory definition for Honour Based Abuse, it is defined as:

Any incident or pattern of controlling; coercive; manipulative; intimidating; or threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse perpetrated by one or more family, extended family, and/or community members and/or current/former intimate partners in response to perceived or alleged transgressions of accepted behaviours. While most often perpetrated against women and girls, anyone can experience honour based abuse regardless of age, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, or gender, including men and boys.

It can encompass but is not limited to:

Psychological, emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual and faith-related, economic, financial, and hate-aggravated abuse; forced marriage; female genital mutilation; abduction; isolation; threats; murder; and other acts of domestic abuse.

People living in the context of an honour dynamic face additional barriers to their ability to speak out against and report abuse for fear of repercussions including further and more severe abuse; shame; stigma; and being shunned/ostracised’.

2.1

A child who is at risk of honour based abuse is at significant risk of physical harm (including being murdered) and/or neglect, and may also suffer significant emotional harm through the threat of violence or witnessing violence directed towards a sibling or other family member. See Recognising Abuse and Neglect Procedure.

Significant harm is defined in Responding to Concerns of Abuse and Neglect Procedure, Concept of significant harm as a situation where a child is likely to suffer a degree of physical harm which is such that it requires a compulsory intervention by child protection agencies into the life of the child and their family.

2.2

Honour based abuse cuts across all cultures and communities, and cases encountered in the UK have involved families from Turkish, Kurdish, Afghani, South Asian, African, Middle Eastern, South and Eastern European communities. This is not an exhaustive list.

2.3

The perceived immoral behaviour which could precipitate a murder include:

• Inappropriate attitude, make-up or dress;
• The existence of a boyfriend or girlfriend or a perceived unsuitable relationship; e.g. a gay/lesbian relationship;
• Rejecting a forced marriage;
• Pregnancy outside of marriage;
• Being a victim of rape;
• Inter-faith relationships (or same faith, but different ethnicity);
• Leaving a spouse or seeking divorce;
• Reporting/fleeing domestic abuse, coercive control or forced marriage;
• Kissing or intimacy in a public place;
• Pre-marital sex or extra-marital affairs;
• Alcohol and drugs use;
• Defying parental authority or ideological differences;
• Running away from home.

2.4

Murders in the name of 'so-called honour' are often the culmination of a series of events over a period of time and are planned. There tends to be a degree of premeditation, family conspiracy and a belief that the victim deserved to die.

2.5

Incidents, in addition to those listed above, which may precede a murder include:

• Physical abuse;
• Emotional abuse, including:
  • House arrest and excessive restrictions;
  • Denial of access to the telephone, internet, passport and friends;
  • Threats to kill.
• Pressure to go abroad. Victims are sometimes persuaded to return to their country of origin under false pretences, when in fact the intention could be to kill them.

2.6

Children sometimes truant from school to obtain relief from being policed at home by relatives. They can feel isolated from their family and social networks and become depressed, which can on some occasions lead to self-harm or suicide.

2.7

Families may feel shame long after the incident that brought about dishonour occurred, and therefore the risk of harm to a child can persist. This means that the young person's new boy/girlfriend, baby (if pregnancy caused the family to feel 'shame'), associates or siblings may be at risk of harm.

3.1

When receiving a disclosure from a child, professionals should recognise the seriousness / immediacy of the risk of harm.

3.2

For a child to report to any agency that they have fears of honour based violence in respect of themselves or a family member requires a lot of courage, and trust that the professional / agency they disclose to will respond appropriately. Specifically, under no circumstances should the agency allow the child's family or social network to find out about the disclosure, so as not to put the child at further risk of harm.

3.3

Authorities in some countries may support the practice of honour-based violence, and the child may be concerned that other agencies share this view, or that they will be returned to their family. The child may be carrying guilt about their rejection of cultural / family expectations. Furthermore, their immigration status may be dependent on their family, which could be used to dissuade them from seeking assistance.

3.4

Where a child discloses fear of honour based violence, professionals in all agencies should respond in line with Domestic Abuse Procedure and Forced marriage of a child Procedure; and the supplementary London procedure Domestic Abuse. The professional response should include:

• Seeing the child immediately in a secure and private place;
• Seeing the child on their own;
• Explaining to the child the limits of confidentiality;
• Asking direct questions to gather enough information to make a referral to local authority children's social care and the police, including recording the child's wishes;
• Encouraging and/or helping the child to complete a personal risk assessment (see the proformas in the London procedure Domestic Abuse);
• Developing an emergency safety plan with the child;
• Agreeing a means of discreet future contact with the child;
• Explaining that a referral to local authority children's social care and the police will be made (see Referral and Assessment Procedure);
• Record all discussions and decisions (including rationale if no decision is made to refer to local authority children's social care).

See also Referral and Assessment Procedure, Referral criteria, which provides guidance on the difference in local authority children's social care between s47 / assessment.

3.5

Local authority children's social care should incorporate into their assessments the safety planning, self-assessment and risk assessment processes in Domestic Abuse.

3.6

Professionals should not approach the family or community leaders, share any information with them or attempt any form of mediation. In particular, members of the local community should not be used as interpreters.

3.7

All multi-agency discussions should recognise the police responsibility to initiate and undertake a criminal investigation as appropriate.

3.8

Multi-agency planning should consider the need for providing suitable safe accommodation for the child, as appropriate.

3.9

If a child is taken abroad, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office may assist in repatriating them to the UK. See also Accessing Information from Abroad Procedure.