Petition update: 14/05/26

We are very pleased to report that with the recent passing of the Crime and Policing Act (2026) the Government has delivered a statutory definition of 'Honour'-Based Abuse.

This follows years of work and campaigning, led by Karma Nirvana and the #Push4Change campaign and members of this partnership have been pleased to be a part of this vital win for the sector and for victim-survivors of 'Honour'-Based Abuse.

While we welcome the Government's delivery of a statutory definition of ‘honour’ based abuse, effective and specialist implementation of this definition and the statutory guidance is crucial, if it is to be effective in safeguarding victim-survivors.

The development and implementation of this guidance must be developed in partnership with the specialist sector, particularly ‘by and fors’ organisations  that support black, minoritised victim-survivors.

Moving forward, our campaigning focus will now shift to ensure that the Government delivers effective implementation of this definition.

Furthermore, although a key aim of this petition has now been achieved, we believe that the issues of training and data collection still remain relevant and consequently, we will continue to highlight this petition, and the support for an improved response to 'Honour'-Based Abuse, as part of our ongoing campaigning work.

This update is intended to reflect this.

For further information, please feel free to contact the partnership via: londonhpsp@gmail.com

 

The Harmful Practices Strategic Partnership (HPSP) is a pan-London by and for led partnership comprising of professionals from statutory and non-statutory agencies, ‘by and for’ organisations and other interested stakeholders. In July 2023 the Women and Equalities Select Committee made a number of recommendations about ‘honour’ based abuse based on evidence from harmful practices experts, including a submission from HPSP. The HPSP are disappointed with the government’s recent response to these recommendations, which shows a lack of understanding of the complexity of these under-identified forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). A number of agencies across the sector also expressed disappointment in the government’s response, including Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales who stated, ‘I urge the government to reconsider its response to this report.’

This petition asks the government to reconsider its stance and calls for immediate reconsideration on three key points.

DATA COLLECTION: 

The current police data collection is not fit for purpose. We are aware from research and our practice that victim/ survivors experiencing ‘honour’ based abuse are not always being identified when they seek support from the police, and therefore not receiving the support they need. Without data collection we are unable to understand the scale of these forms of abuse, and therefore adequately address them. HPSP is asking the government to urgently reconsider and mandate the police to include comprehensive HBA data as part of their existing annual data requirement.        

TRAINING

The current training offer on forced marriage and FGM is insufficient and is currently taken up by a minority of statutory workers (eg the forced marriage training was only accessed by 5209 people in 2022). We demand increased efforts in developing and delivering broad training, with a focus on HBA, led by by-and-for agency experts. We are aware from research and our practice that many professionals from statutory agencies do not feel confident in identifying or responding to ‘honour’ based abuse. This means that victim/ survivors are not receiving the right support to ensure their safety. All professionals in statutory agencies must be required to attend specialist harmful practice training to understand, respond and support survivors appropriately. 

STATUTORY DEFINITION OF HBA

We challenge the government's rejection of a statutory definition for HBA. The current non statutory definition is criminal justice focused and does not capture the complexity of ‘honour’ based abuse, nor describe the experiences of many survivors. A statutory definition would support agencies to better understand HBA and therefore to identify victim/ survivors.

A statutory definition will be beneficial for legal proceedings, aiding legal professionals, including solicitors and courts, in accurately addressing cases related to HBA within the legal system. However, as a hidden practice we are aware that many victim/ survivors do not engage with the criminal justice system and a statutory definition will support a wide range of agencies and communities to recognise and respond more accurately to this complex issue, which the current non-statutory definition falls short of achieving. 

We support Karma Nirvana's #Push4Change Campaign advocating for a statutory definition of Honour Based Abuse. 

Please sign this petition and join us in urging the government to prioritise victims/ survivors of 'honour' based abuse. Together, let's push for a revaluation of their position, tackling crucial matters such as data collection, training, and having a statutory definition for HBA.