• contents
• keywords & contacts
• quick guide
• values
• alerts & suggestions
• search

• the knowledge

Honour based violence cuts across all cultures and communities: Turkish, Kurdish, Afghani, South Asian, African, Middle Eastern, South and Eastern European for example. This is not an exhaustive list.

Murders in the name of so-called honour, sometimes called ‘honour killings’, are murders in which, predominantly women, are killed for actual or perceived immoral behaviour, which is deemed to have breached the honour code of a family or community, causing shame.

Behaviour that could lead to a murder includes:

• Inappropriate make-up or dress
• The existence of a boyfriend
• Rejecting a forced marriage (see Children and Forced Marriages Procedure)
• Pregnancy outside of marriage
• Inter-faith relationships
• Leaving a spouse or seeking divorce
• Intimacy in a public place

These types of murders 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.

Shame and therefore the risk to a victim may persist long after the incident that brought about dishonour occurred. This means that the victim’s partner (if new), children, associates or their siblings are at risk.

Remember reporting is a brave step and an inappropriate response could put victims, children and other family members at further risk.

Authorities in some countries from which they originate may support this practice and victims may be concerned that you share this view, or that you may return them to their family. They often carry guilt about their rejection of cultural/family expectations. Their immigration status may be dependant on their spouse and it may be used to dissuade them from seeking assistance.

Young victims sometimes truant from school to obtain relief from being watched at home by relatives. Victims of rape may be perceived by relatives as having brought about the offence and their own family may kill them as a consequence. Women that have fled their marriage are often perceived as bringing shame upon their own blood family. Therefore, they may be at risk not only from their spouses and in-laws, but also from their own father, brothers, sons and wider community, resulting in isolation, depression and, on some occasion’s suicide.

Victims are sometimes persuaded to return to their country of origin under false pretences, when in fact the intention could be to kill them. If a woman is taken abroad, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office may assist in repatriating the woman to the UK.

When dealing with potential victims it is important to recognise the seriousness/immediacy of the risk.

Incidents that may precede a murder include:

• Forced marriage (See Children and Forced Marriage Procedure)
• Domestic violence (See Domestic Violence and Abuse Procedure)
• Attempts to separate or divorce
• Starting a new relationship
• Pregnancy
• Threats to kill or denial of access to children
• Pressure to go abroad
• House arrest and excessive restrictions
• Denial of access to the telephone, internet, passport and friends

When dealing with victims, DO NOT SPEAK WITH THEM IN THE PRESENCE OF THEIR RELATIVES. Women that return to their families should be offered support including, escape plans, the option to deposit their DNA, finger prints and photograph with the Police. Ensure that you make a full record of what is said, what you have done and to whom you have referred on to.

Where a child discloses fear of honour based violence in respect of themselves or a family member, professionals in all agencies should respond in line with the inter-agency chapter on Domestic Violence and abuse, including:

• Take the disclosure seriously
• Ensure that the place where s/he is disclosing affords confidentiality
• Explain to the child the limits of confidentiality
• Obtain information to make a referral to the Children’s Social Care Services and the Police Child Abuse Investigation Team, including recording the child’s wishes
• Agree a means of discreet future contact
• Explain that a referral to Local Authority Children’s Social Care and the Police will be made (See Referrals Procedure and Initial and Core Assessment Procedure).

Local Authority Children’s Social Care should incorporate into their Initial Assessment and Core Assessments the safety planning, self-assessment and risk assessment processes in the inter-agency chapter on Domestic Violence and abuse (see Domestic Violence and Abuse Procedure).

Professionals should not approach the family or community leaders, share any information with them or attempt any form of mediation.

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

End