Number of ‘honour-based’ crimes being committed in Britain surges by more than 60 per cent in two years

Apr 9, 2024 by Jill

by Emily Jane Davies, Daily Mail:

Experts warn court backlogs are partly to blame.

The number of honour-based crimes happening in Britain surged by more than 60 per cent in just two years, figures suggest.

Honour-based offences – such as rape and forced marriage – are defined as a crime or incident which is committed to protect the ‘honour’ of the family.

The perpetrator is often a family member, but can also be a member of the extended family or the community.

The Guardian reported that 26 of 39 constabularies said there were 2,594 offences of this type recorded by police in 2022. This was compared to 1,599 in 2020.

The increase was even more notable since 2016 – up 193 per cent.

It may be due to more victims coming forward, improved identification of the offences by police or even court backlogs.

Imran Khodabocus, a director at the Family Law Company, which sourced the figures, told the newspaper that delays in family courts are part of the problem.

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