Event Details

“HBV is a cultural, not a religious phenomenon. It impacts in a range of communities. Among the challenges for the service is to develop responses that keep people safe and hold perpetrators to account without stereotyping, stigmatising or making assumptions about any given individual or community. That will be achieved through a focus on recognising and responding to risk, a focus on criminality and understanding HBV as a fundamental breach of Human Rights.””
— ACPO ‘Honour’ Based Violence Strategy, September 2008

Overview

For many years ‘honour’ based violence remained largely an underground phenomenon, shielded by a combination of sensitive cultural barriers and a general lack of public awareness. A number of recent high profile cases have, however, propelled such incidents into the public eye and firmly onto the Government’s policy agenda. Underlining its commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, the Government has launched several programmes in recent years, through which it also hopes to address so-called ‘honour’ crime in the UK. These include:

• The Creation of the FCO Forced Marriage Unit (2000); The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act (2007)
• Crown Prosecution Service Violence against Women Strategy (2008)
• ACPO ‘Honour’ Based Violence Strategy (2008)
• Home Office National Cross-Government Strategy “Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls” (2009)

Although these initiatives have gone some way to exposing the true scale of the problem in the UK, a significant increase in recorded ‘honour’ crimes in 2009 clearly illustrates that much more must be done to establish a robust framework to tackle and prevent these crimes and ensure co-ordinated, comprehensive and consistent responses at the local level. Better community engagement, improved investigation procedures and increased prosecution rates are also vital to challenge the cultural acceptance of HBV, increase reporting of ‘honour’ based crime and build public confidence in the Criminal Justice System.

This special Public Policy Exchange Symposium, hosted by the Centre for Parliamentary Studies, offers a timely opportunity to assess the latest Government thinking around tackling HBV and explore how recent initiatives can be taken forward into a robust and long-term framework to prevent ‘honour’ crime in every local community. The Symposium will also map the legal framework for tackling HBV and consider how improvements in the protection, support and services available to victims can be achieved through more effective multi-agency working at both central and local level, stronger investigation procedures and increased prosecution rates. Delegates will have the opportunity to debate, share vital best practice, and network with colleagues across all sectors.

Programme

Who Should Attend?

• Domestic Violence Co-ordinators
• Housing Officers
• Police & Fire Services
• Home Office, UKBA & Central Government Agencies
• Local Authority Officers & Members
• Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships
• Local Safeguarding Children Board
• Children’s Trusts & Children’s Services
• MARAC’s
• Schools & Local Education Welfare Authorities
• Local Criminal Justice Boards
• Local Family Justice Councils
• Multi-Agency Adult Protection Management Committees
• Probation Officers
• Health Service Professionals
• Victim Support Representatives
• Community Cohesion & Development Organisations
• Counselling Services
• Community Safety Teams
• Neighbourhood Policing Teams
• Community Support Officers
• Housing Associations
• Social Workers & Social Services Officers
• Judges & Magistrates
• Legal Professionals
• Faith Groups
• Equality & Diversity Practitioners
• Third Sector Practitioners
• Academics & Researchers