‘Honour-based’ abuse and forced marriage rife in London, campaigners warn

Nov 13, 2017 by Jill

by Benedict Moore-Bridger, Independent:

Victims of “honour-based” abuse in London are being forced into marriages where they face a life of modern slavery, campaigners warned today. They spoke out as a joint investigation by The Independent and the London Evening Standard found tens of thousands of girls and women in the capital are hidden victims of such abuse. Police admit they are dealing with the “tip of the iceberg” and politicians stand accused of ignoring the issue over fears of being called racist.

One of the most common examples of “honour-based” abuse (HBA) is forced marriage, with victims often suffering the conditions of slavery through domestic servitude. Other examples include female genital mutilation and “honour killings”.

Police data obtained by The Independent shows that in the 12 months to June there were 495 reported victims of HBA in London. Two were aged under one, three were a year old and nine were under 10.

Read here