Five per cent of ‘honour’ crimes passed to CPS

Forces are referring just five per cent of ‘honour’ crimes for prosecution, new figures have revealed. Data obtained by the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation shows 5,105 forced marriage, ‘honour’-based violence and female genital mutilation (FGM) offences were reported to police in 2016/17. However, forces passed just 256 cases to the Crown Prosecution Service over the same period, leading to 215 prosecutions and 122 convictions. The figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, also show a 53 per cent rise in recording of so-called honour crimes since 2014, when 3,335 cases came to police attention. In 2015, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found just three English and Welsh forces were effectively supporting victims and pursuing cases. The National Police Chiefs’ Council said honour-based crimes are complex and often involve family networks or threats of violence that may discourage victims from speaking out. Commander Ivan Balhatchet added: “In all cases our priority is to safeguard vulnerable victims from this appalling form of abuse so we work to put protection orders in place as soon as possible even where a conviction is not possible.”