Honour Based Abuse & FGM Flashcards
Define Honour Based Abuse
An incident or crime involving violence, threats of violence, intimidation coercion or abuse (including psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse) which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of an individual, family and/or community for alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community’s code of behaviour
- VIOLENCE/INTIMIDATION/COERCION/ABUSE to protect/defend honour of a family/individual/community for alleged breaches code of behaviours
Factors that Increase the Risk of HBA
-Resisting forced marriage
-Wanting a divorce
-Choosing own partner
-Becoming too westernised
-Having sex/getting pregnant before marriage
-Owning a mobile phone/learning to drive/smoke/drink
-Perceived inappropriate dress, wearing makeup, refusing head scarf
-Making own decisions
-Wanting to continue an education
-Being lesbian, gay, transgender
Forced Marriage
A forced marriage is where one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used to force them into marriage
It is illegal in UK, form of DA and human rights abuse
Legally certain learning disabilities/severe mental health issues cannot consent to marriage.
Indicators of Forced Marriage
-Unreasonable restriction of freedom
-Monitored by family and community
-Hiding mobile phones/social media/friends
-no aspirations post 16/self-harming
-running away from home, truancy, absence
-Request for extended leave
-Failure to return from visits to country of origin
-Report of threats to kill/blackmail
-Victims feel they can only submit or die
Motives for Forced Marriage
-Controlling unwanted sexuality, behaviour, relationships
-Protecting family honour/peer pressure
-attempting to strengthen family links
-ensuring wealth remains within family
-protecting cultural ideals
-protecting religious beliefs
-assisting claims for UK residence/citizenship
-Long-standing family commitments
Marriage and Civil Partnership Act 2022
-Marriage minimum age is 18
-FMPO: Force marriage protection order
S.10 Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
Criminal offence to force someone to marry, including:
-Taking someone overseas to force them to marry (regardless of if the marriage actually takes place)
-Marrying someone who lacks the mental capacity to consent to marriage (regardless if they are pressured or not)
Sentencing for Forced Marriage
Either way offence:
7 years imprisonment
FMU
Forced Marriage Unit
Provides support/advice for victims, those at risk and professionals
First Response for Forced Marriage
-Do not attempt mediation with family/community
-Do not use family, community members or local interpreters to translate
-Identify potential suspects and establish the motivation for behaviour
-Gather evidence and consider recording initial accounts on BWV
-Several victims (partners/siblings) may need safeguarding
-Conduct appropriate checks on databases
-Take positive action when safe to do so and establish safe method of contact
-Put protection order in place
Immediate Responsibilities for HBA after initial contact
-Get advice from specialist units
-If child is at immediate risk, consider police protection powers
-Contact children services
-Consider mental capacity
-Establish immediate safety of victim, consider safe place for them
-Consider risk to victim/other siblings
-Restrict access to reports
Define FGM
Female Genital Mutilation
Partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organ for non-medical reasons
Sentencing - Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
14 years imprisonment and or fine
3 basic offences - Female Genital Mutilation Act (2003)
-Carrying out FGM
-Assisting a girl to mutilate her own genitalia
-Assisting a non-UK person to carry out FGM on a UK girl outside the UK.
Initial Actions FGM
Take immediate steps to make that person safe
Take immediate steps to secure evidence of an offence (including preparatory)
Consider arresting suspects
Seek advice of a supervisor
