A national charity has warned that 'honour'-based abuse (HBA) remains a local issue, despite a decrease in police reports.
This comes after Home Office data revealed a 16 per cent decrease in reported HBA-related offences in Cheshire for the year ending March 2024, with an eight per cent decrease nationally.
However, the charity, Savera UK, has recorded a 400 per cent increase in HBA referrals in Cheshire since its partnership with the Police and Crime Commissioner began in April 2023.
Afrah Qassim, CEO and founder of Savera UK, said: "While a decrease in reports of HBA-offences appears positive, for us as a frontline grassroots organisation, today's data is deeply concerning.
"What is being reported by police contradicts what we are seeing on the ground here in Cheshire, with referrals for HBA cases from the county actually increasing by 400 per cent since our partnership with Cheshire PCC began.
"HBA remains a local issue that happens here and can affect anyone."
The charity believes the decrease in reports may be a result of fear or reluctance to report HBA offences to the police.
This could be due to fear of reprisal, fear of not being believed, or the high risk of harm not being recognised.
Ms Qassim added: "While there have been considerable improvements, the latest data suggests that there is still a lack of understanding and education around HBA and harmful practices that are impacting identification, response and reporting by the police and other statutory services."
The charity has been working alongside the police and other professionals to better identify and respond to cases of HBA.
Despite this, they believe there is still much work to be done.
Ms Qassim said: "Fear and reluctance to report HBA offences need to be addressed by well-funded community engagement led by specialist organisations in this field, to break down those barriers.
"Further training and education are also needed to help police and other professionals better identify, respond to and record HBA offences."
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, Dan Price, also highlighted the importance of increasing understanding and awareness of HBA and harmful practices, not only in communities but also in educational settings, the healthcare sector, and the police.
He said: "It is important to fund services like this because even if we are able to help just one person as a result of this partnership, it’s been worthwhile."
Despite the overall decrease in HBA offences reported nationally, the number of female genital mutilation (FGM) offences increased slightly to 111 this year, compared to 86 in 2022/23.
Forced marriage offences also increased to 201 this year, from 173 in 2022/23.
Savera UK and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire will continue their efforts in identifying and responding to HBA and harmful practices.
They welcome the commitment to improving local responses and contributing to their mission to end HBA and harmful practices for good.
Ms Qassim said: "Despite the decrease in reports revealed in today's data, we know that what is reported and even what we see on the frontline is only the tip of the iceberg.
"We are fortunate to work in partnership with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire and welcome his commitment to improving responses locally, as well as contributing to our mission to end HBA and harmful practices for good."
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