Warwickshire County Council and its partners including Warwickshire Police, Equip and Refuge, will pause to remember victims of honour based abuse on Thursday 14 July, the National Day of Remembrance. They will reiterate the message, #YouAreNotAlone, help and support is available to you.
The National Day of Remembrance came about as a result of 17 year old Shafilea Ahmed, who was murdered by her parents because she refused a forced marriage.
Forced marriage and honour based abuse are examples of activity known as Harmful Practices. Other forms of Harmful Practices include, but are not limited to:
- Murder (so-called honour killings)
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
Warwickshire County Council and its partners work closely with agencies both locally and across the UK, to ensure the perpetrators of these illegal crimes are reprimanded with a custodial sentence.
Councillor Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety at Warwickshire County council said: “On this Remembrance Day we want to reiterate that there is help and support available to anyone who needs help due to a honour based crime. We have excellent links to support and guidance for anyone who is looking for help – you don’t need to suffer alone.”
Detective Chief Inspector Helen Waite stressed the importance of awareness around this topic, "Honour-based abuse can occur within all cultures and nationalities and can happen to victims of any age or sex. In most cases there may be several perpetrators from the victim's family, and also the wider community.”
“Honour-based abuse does happen in our communities in Warwickshire and culture and tradition are not an excuse. Warwickshire Police is committed to supporting victims and families and we will do everything we can to prosecute those responsible.”
“Warwickshire Police has specially trained officers who can provide support and we also work closely with a range of partners and agencies who can provide help and support for those who are, or who may be, at risk of forced marriage, 'honour based' abuse and harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).”
“With international travel reopening this summer we encourage the community to report concerns if they believe someone is at risk of Forced Marriage or FGM.”
Signs to look out for include:
- Do older adults in the family talk on behalf of a person?
- Is the person travelling to a country with a higher risk of forced marriage or FGM?
- Is the person travelling abroad for a wedding or special event?
- Is the person concerned they may not return to college or school?
- Does the person seem anxious or scared or are they vulnerable?
- Consider if “honour” is held high within their community.
For help go to:
- Safe In Warwickshire - www.safeinwarwickshire.com/harmfulpractices/
- Talk2Someone - www.talk2someone.org.uk/
- Warwickshire’s Domestic Violence Service – provides advice and support to women, men and children experiencing domestic violence in Warwickshire. This includes culturally specific services, including support to victims of FGM, honour based violence and forced marriage. They can be contacted by email at DVSW@refuge.org.uk, or phone 0800 408 1552 or via their website.
If you are a concerned friend, work colleague, neighbour or relative who wants to report an incident, please call Warwickshire Police on 101. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger then call 999.