The numbers of women and girls in the UK who are suffering violence and intimidation at the hands of their families in phenomena known as “Honour” crimes is increasing rapidly in the UK. And according to campaigners, we are only seeing a fraction of the full picture since most crimes go unreported.
Statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information Act about such violence – which can include threats, abduction, acid attacks, beatings, forced marriage, mutilation and murder – show that in the 12 police force areas for which comparable data was available, reports went up by 47% in just a year.
The figures, shared with the Guardian by the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (Ikwro), also reveal that a small number of forces – including four in Scotland – are still not collecting data on how often such violence occurs.
