The government has announced a major step forward in tackling honour-based abuse, unveiling new laws designed to protect victims and improve how authorities
respond to these often hidden crimes. Under plans introduced through the Crime and Policing Bill, honour-based abuse will, for the first time, have a clear legal definition in England and Wales.
The change is intended to help police, social workers, health professionals and other frontline staff identify risks earlier, share vital information more effectively, and hold perpetrators to account. The move comes as new figures reveal that almost 3,000 honour-based abuse offences were recorded by police in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025.
Campaigners warn the real number is likely to be far higher, as many victims are too frightened or isolated to report what they are experiencing. Ministers say the new definition, alongside powers to issue statutory guidance, will set clear expectations for public bodies and close gaps that have previously allowed crucial evidence to be missed in criminal cases.
The reforms have been widely welcomed by more than 60 charities, including Karma Nirvana, which has long campaigned for stronger legal recognition of honour-based abuse. The charity’s calls intensified following the murder of Fawziyah Javed in 2021. Pregnant at the time, the 31-year-old from Leeds was killed after being pushed from Arthur’s Seat. Her case exposed how ideas of perceived “dishonour” can escalate into extreme violence and how existing systems failed to recognise the risks she faced.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, said: “There is no honour in ‘honour’-based abuse. For too long, these devastating crimes have often been misunderstood and victims badly let down.
Now we are tackling these crimes head on and bringing them out of the shadows. Introducing a new definition and important guidance into law will ensure professionals will work together to ensure more victims are protected and more perpetrators face justice”.
Honour-based abuse can include honour-motivated killings, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) — all serious crimes that often take place behind closed doors and within tight-knit communities.
The new definition has been introduced through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill at its Report stage in the House of Lords, meaning the measures will apply across England and Wales once the bill becomes law. The legislation also forms part of wider government ambitions to restore confidence in the criminal justice system and to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade.
Executive Director of Karma Nirvana, Natasha Rattu, said: “Karma Nirvana welcomes the tabling of an amendment to introduce a statutory definition of honour-based abuse. For too long, the absence of a clear legal definition has contributed to inconsistency in recognition and response, leaving victims at risk and perpetrators unchallenged.
A statutory definition is a vital step towards ensuring that police, prosecutors, health professionals and social care services can identify abuse earlier and respond more effectively.
We are pleased to see this commitment being progressed and will be carefully watching as it moves through Parliament to ensure it delivers meaningful protection for those at risk”.
Alongside the legal reforms, the Home Office is also exploring a national prevalence study into forced marriage and FGM, first announced last summer, to better understand how widespread these abuses are. A new community engagement campaign is also planned to encourage victims to come forward.
Ministers say these measures will help expose the true scale of honour-based abuse, ensure more survivors receive support, and bring the most dangerous offenders to justice — reinforcing commitments set out in the government’s wider strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. Photo by Steve Cadman Wikimedia commons.