Conference puts honour based abuse in the spotlight

Greater Manchester Police recently organised an event at its headquarters, focusing on addressing Honour-Based Abuse (HBA) across Greater Manchester.

Honour-based abuse is a criminal act or incident carried out to uphold the perceived 'honour' of a family or community. If an individual is believed to have brought shame or embarrassment through their behaviour, their family or community might inflict punishment for violating their 'honour' code.

Honour-Based Abuse encompasses a broad range of criminal behaviours, including forced and child marriages, domestic abuse, controlling and coercive behaviour, sexual harassment and violence, threats to life, physical and emotional violence leading to murder, abduction, forced confinement, denial of communication tools and internet access, control over essential documents like passports, and intentional isolation from friends and family, including children.

To address this, GMP has introduced Honour-Based Abuse Champions - Police Officers and Staff from across the force - who have undergone additional training to enhance their understanding of Honour-Based Abuse and how it affects victims and survivors.

These champions play a crucial role in keeping victims safe, sharing knowledge of the subject matter across the force with colleagues and ultimately ensuring justice for victims of HBA by relentlessly pursuing perpetrators. The champions also receive comprehensive training and have access to support resources and subject matter experts within GMP.

This approach ensures they are well-prepared to provide the correct support and assistance to victims, contributing to the force's commitment to eradicating Honour-Based Abuse.

The event saw the gathering of 54 dedicated Honour-Based Abuse Champions sharing invaluable insights from across the force and from external speakers who spoke of their personal experiences and best practices in dealing with Honour-Based Abuse.

The event featured powerful narratives from two courageous survivors who shared their experiences of HBA with the 54 champions from across the force.

One survivor, Memory Nyahunzwi, and founder of the Olive Pathway charity, spoke about their experience of being an asylum seeker in a forced marriage in which they were subjected to various forms of HBA and domestic violence. Their aim is to educate, empower, and assist victims while preventing similar abuse within black communities.

The event was also attended by award-winning LGBTQ+ activist, Lucky Roy Singh, who shared their experiences of forced marriage, honour-based abuse and domestic abuse revealing how they overcame the abuse they suffered and now uses their story to spearhead change emphasising the importance of proactive measures and awareness to break the cycle of abuse.

Lucky said: “Empowering our officers with knowledge and empathy is the key to building a safer society. Through comprehensive police training, we are not only combatting honour-based abuse and domestic violence but also championing the rights of all individuals.Today, we stand united in our commitment to promoting queer rights, trans rights, and non-binary inclusion, ensuring that our diverse communities feel safe, respected, and protected under the law. With each training session and events like this, we are breaking barriers and dismantling stereotypes, fostering a culture of understanding and acceptance within law enforcement.Together with this collaboration, we are reshaping the future, embracing the complexities of human identity, and working tirelessly to build a society free from discrimination and oppression and keeping the conversation and education on Honour Based Abuse".

This event was set up by Detective Constable Sarah Leyland, the Honour Based Abuse Subject Matter Expert for GMP, who said: "I am immensely proud to witness the emergence of 54 Honour Based Abuse champions across the force that are ready to apply and share their knowledge with other colleagues and use it within our communities.Their commitment to furthering their education, championing empowerment, and responding to Honour Based Abuse incidents is truly commendable. We are extremely thankful to the speakers at our event at Force HQ and for sharing their powerful stories and contributing to the collective strength against this pervasive issue.As a force, we will continue to detect, identify, and confront Honour Based Abuse, ensuring that our efforts make a profound impact on the lives of those in need across Greater Manchester."

Chief Inspector Toby Facey – Force Lead for Domestic Abuse said: “I am proud of the unwavering commitment of our Honour Based Abuse Champions who work tirelessly to support victims and survivors across Greater Manchester. Their dedication in confronting the issue of domestic abuse reflects the strength of our collective resolve to tackling this prevalent issue.Together, we stand united against Honour Based Abuse in our communities, and I am immensely proud of our officers for voluntarily coming forward to become a champion in this subject area, their support is instrumental in providing a lifeline for victims.”