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"Honour crimes" and forced marriage

What is a so-called 'honour' crime?

So-called 'honour based violence' is a crime or incident, which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community.

'So-called Honour Crime' is a fundamental abuse of Human Rights.

There is no honour in the commission of murder, rape, kidnap and the many other acts, behaviour and conduct which make up 'violence in the name of so-called honour'.

The simplicity of the above definition is not intended in any way to minimise the levels of violence, harm and hurt caused by such acts.

(definition used by the Metropolitan Police Working Group on honour based violence)

What is a forced marriage?

In a forced marriage you are coerced into marrying someone against your will. You may be physically threatened or emotionally blackmailed to do so. It is an abuse of human rights and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis.

It’s not the same as an arranged marriage where you have a choice as to whether to accept the arrangement or not. The tradition of arranged marriages has operated successfully within many communities and countries for a very long time.

(Definition from the Foreign and Commonwealth office)

Both 'honour crimes' and forced marriage are forms of domestic violence.

Forced Marriage (civil protection) Act 2007 came into force on 25th November 2008

Recommendations on future work on forced marriage and so-called 'honour' crime

CPS pilot on forced marriage and so-called ‘honour’ crime – findings

Policy for prosecuting domestic violence

Crimes involving young people

Young people as victims and witnesses

Being a victim or a witness to a crime is not easy, but we work hard to bring offenders to justice. Throughout the justice process we will support young victims and witnesses and treat them with dignity.

Find out more about how we support young victims and witnesses

Youth crime

The Crown Prosecution Service acts in partnership with other agencies such as the police, the youth justice board, children's services, courts and youth offending teams. Each area of the CPS has a youth justice specialist who oversees the prosecution of youth crime in their area.

Find out more about how we prosecute youth crime

Home » News Centre » Press Releases » Family guilty of killing teenage boy in "honour crime" trial

Family guilty of killing teenage boy in "honour crime" trial

04/11/2005

Members of a teenage girl's family have been found guilty of killing the boy she loved in a case described by Thames Valley Crown Prosecution Service's reviewing lawyer Shan Saunders as tragic for everyone concerned.

A jury at Oxford Crown Court found Manna Begum's father, Chomir Ali and her brothers Mohammed and Manmoor Rahman had conspired together to murder 19-year-old Arash Ghorbani-Zarin, who was Manna's fianc and the father of her unborn child.

Miss Saunders said: "The cultural background and concept of 'honour' was significant but essentially this was a contrived and callous murder.

"Not only has it seen Arash's short life ended in such painful and tragic circumstances because he "brought shame and dishonour" on Manna's family but his death also had a ruinous effect on the lives of so many people around him."

The prosecution case was that Chomir Ali disapproved of Manna's relationship with Arash because of his perception of Arash's family background, and because an arranged marriage to another man was what the family intended for her in the future.

An open relationship with another man would affect the likelihood of any such marriage.

Chomir ordered his sons Mohammed and Manmoor to murder Arash, said Miss Saunders, and a post mortem examination showed Arash was stabbed 46 times.

She said: "Mohammed had a carefully planned alibi and allowed himself to appear on CCTV soon after the murder in clean clothes. Three days later, a man believed to be Chomir was seen dumping his son's blood-stained clothes and the murder weapon over a hedge.

"This was a planned and premeditated attack. They not only intended to kill Arash but also to get away with it. Thanks to the hard work of the prosecution team, we built a thorough and robust case against them backed by forensic evidence which convinced a jury of their guilt."

For further details, please contact the CPS Press Office on 020 7796 8180.