VICTIMS of honour-based abuse will remain hidden without a standard statutory definition and better training for police, schools, health and social services to identify such abuse, MPs have said.

The women and equalities committee said that its prevalence is “likely to be much higher” than the almost eight related offences per day recorded by police in England and Wales last year.

In a report issued released today, the committee urged the government to introduce a statutory definition of honour-based abuse, similar to the definition of domestic abuse in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, after finding “significant variation in the understanding” of it across statutory agencies.

Honour-based abuse is “a crime or incident committed to protect or defend the ‘honour’ of a family or community,” according to police.

The MPs said that the Home Office, National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing should publish refreshed guidance for forces on how to accurately and consistently record incidents of honour-based abuse.

Teaching around honour-based abuse should be improved in schools, the committee recommended, describing the current situation as “inadequate.”

The committee also called for the ongoing review of relationships, sex and health education to “consider how the teaching of honour-based abuse should be improved across educational settings.”

Committee chairwoman Caroline Nokes MP said it is “extraordinarily difficult” for victims of the abuse to come forward, as they take “huge risks in reporting the crimes against them and often they will only have one chance to do so.

“It is critical that the public services in place to protect them are able to recognise that abuse at the first opportunity. 

“Better training for front-line agencies in identifying honour-based abuse, whether police, schools, health or social services, is imperative.”

She said that the circumstances of honour-based abuse “are often unique to different communities,” saying: “That is why it is vital that a more standardised approach to data collection is implemented in order to better understand the complexities of honour-based abuse cases and ensure that appropriate support can be made available.”

As part of a separate inquiry into misogyny in music, the committee also heard the government could back an alcohol licencing ban on music venues that do not provide sufficient staff training to prevent sexual harassment. 

Sir John Whittingdale, minister for data and digital infrastructure, said he “would be interested” in looking at such a recommendation  by the committee.