‘Honour’-based abuse (HBA) is a crime or incident committed to protect or defend the ‘honour’ of a family and/or community and can encompass physical, emotional, sexual and other forms of abuse, such as financial abuse and control.
Harmful practices are values and beliefs held by members of a family and/or a community which are abusive or cause harm, such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).
‘Honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful practices are a violation of human rights and they happen here.
In the UK in 2022-23 (Source: Home Office):
● There were 2,905 HBA-related offences recorded by the police in England and Wales
● 31 of these were recorded in Cheshire
● Of all reports, 84 were FGM offences and 172 were forced marriage offences
However, these figures are just the tip of the iceberg and show only those offences recorded by police. As a frontline service, we know that these ‘hidden’ crimes are under-reported due to fear of violence or punishment for reporting abuse, or concern that the authorities will not believe them or understand these issues.
Since April 2023, Savera UK has seen a 400% increase in referrals from Cheshire for people who have been subjected to or are at risk of HBA and harmful practices.
We’re working with the Cheshire PCC to raise awareness around HBA and Harmful Practices – you can learn more below
