So-called honour-based abuse

Honour-based abuse is:

an incident or crime involving violence, threats of violence, intimidation, coercion or abuse (including psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse).

This abuse is committed to protect or defend the honour of an individual, family and/ or community. 

This is done for alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community’s code of behaviour. 

If your family or community think you’ve shamed or embarrassed them by behaving in a certain way, they may punish you for breaking their ‘honour’ code. 

Examples of this include: 

• having a relationship or marrying someone outside your community or someone within your community that your family don’t approve of 
• separation or divorce 
• talking to certain people 
• having sex before marriage 
• becoming pregnant or giving birth outside of marriage 
• wearing clothes your family or community think are inappropriate 
• using drugs or alcohol 
• accessing higher education 
• challenging what your family or community expect of you. 
• disagreeing with the religion of your family or community. 

There isn’t one specific crime of honour-based abuse. It can involve a range of crimes and behaviours. 

Some forced marriage offences are illegal under section 121 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

These could include:

• a breach of a Forced Marriage Protection Order under section 120 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 
• any criminal offence or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) that has been carried out in the context of a forced marriage. This could include:
  • coercion of party/parties into marrying without their consent - this would be prosecuted for the specific offence committed, such as harassment, kidnapping or threats to kill
  • acts done after a forced marriage without the consent of one or both parties and where duress is a factor - again these would be prosecuted for the specific offence, such as rape or sexual assault. 

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. 

FGM is sometimes known as ‘female genital cutting’ or female circumcision. Communities tend to use local names for referring to this practice, including ‘sunna’. 

FGM has been categorised into four types, ranging from

• a symbolic prick to the clitoris or foreskin to; 
• the extensive removal and narrowing of the vaginal opening. 

All these forms of FGM have been found in the UK. 

FGM is considered a grave violation of the rights of girls and women. 

Warning signs

FGM is illegal in the UK. It is an offence for any person (regardless of their nationality or residence status) to: 

• perform FGM in England and Wales 
• assist a girl to carry out FGM on herself in England and Wales 
• assist (from England or Wales) a non-UK person to carry out FGM outside the UK on a UK national or UK resident 

If you’re concerned about someone being abused in this way, here are some warning signs to look out for: 

• acting withdrawn or upset 
• bruising or other unexplained physical injury 
• depression, self-harming or attempted suicide 
• unexplained absence or poor performance at school or work 
• their movements at home are strictly controlled 
• family rows, domestic violence 
• running away from home 
• a family history of relatives going missing

Examples of someone who might commit this crime

Someone who has offences around:

• forced marriage
• domestic abuse (physical, sexual, psychological, emotional or financial)
• sexual harassment and sexual violence (rape and sexual assault or the threat of) 
• threats to kill, or has committed physical and emotional violence and murder 
• pressuring someone to travel or move abroad
• keeping someone at home with no freedom
• coercive control - such as preventing someone from using the telephone, internet, or have access to important documents like a passport or birth certificate 
• isolating someone from friends and family members 
• kidnapping, child abduction and false imprisonment
• blackmail
• immigration offences
• fraud
• people trafficking
• controlling, causing or inciting prostitution.