Last week at Shrewsbury Crown Court, five men were sentenced to almost 30 years in prison for their part in an ‘honour’ kidnapping, and the torture of their 21-year-old male victim, in a crime that the judge said was driven by “perceived family ‘honour’”.

Shocking footage showed the gang – with whom the victim had previously been lifelong friends – snatching the man from outside his home in Telford and forcing him into the boot of their car in front of his mother on 29th December 2025.

He was then taken to a hired shipping container where he was tied to a chair and beaten, before escaping and locking himself in the car, and driving away to raise the alarm. The attack came after the man had entered into a relationship with the sister of two of the perpetrators.

Shayyan Hussain, 24, Faheem Chohan, 23, and Ehteshan Hussain, 22, were jailed for seven-and-a-half years and Jawad Hussain, 21, was sentenced to seven years. The four had previously pleaded guilty to kidnap. The fifth man, Haider Ali, 22, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of kidnap by a jury.

Speaking of the case, Savera UK CEO and Founder, Afrah Qassim, said: “We welcome the sentencing of these men for this abhorrent crime and are pleased that the motive of ‘honour’ was recognised in this case.

“The hallmarks of ‘honour’ in the case were clear. There were multiple perpetrators who were all known to the victim. The two brothers were described as taking a “leading operational role”, two men who were their distant cousins “willingly participated” in the attack, which was not undertaken on “impulse” but after significant preparation.

“The attack followed a series of escalating incidents designed to intimidate the young man and warn him off the relationship, including cars driving past the victim’s house or following him on the motorway as he drove to work, and on one occasion, being confronted with a baseball bat.

“As often happens in cases of ‘honour’ abuse and violence, the perpetrators were acting under a “misguided sense of familial responsibility” as they did not approve of the relationship. However, this does not excuse their actions as the outcome of the case illustrates. This was unacceptable violence and abuse that cannot be justified or excused.

“This case also shines a light on male survivors of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and violence. Data of reported cases of HBA indicates that women and girls are more likely to be  affected or at risk. However, we know that reported and identified cases are just the tip of the iceberg. Due to misconceptions about what HBA looks like, who is likely to be affected and lack of professional awareness of the issue, many cases are simply not recognised. This is even more true for male survivors, as such cases do not fit stereotypes associated with HBA.

“We are pleased that justice has been served for this young man and praise his bravery in speaking out against ‘honour’ abuse, and we hope that he and his family are receiving appropriate care and support as he moves forward with his life.”

You can read more about the case here.