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| Call to arms in battle to protect women against honour-based abuse | Call to arms in battle to protect women against honour-based abuse |
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| Manchester burns nurse Janet Guest had never heard of “honour” abuse a few years ago, but she is now a passionate campaigner for vulnerable women burned and terrorised for allegedly damaging their family’s name. | Manchester burns nurse Janet Guest had never heard of “honour” abuse a few years ago, but she is now a passionate campaigner for vulnerable women burned and terrorised for allegedly damaging their family’s name. |
| As an assistant practitioner in the regional burns unit at the University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM), her eyes were opened to the problem in 2010. She saw an Indian woman who had been scarred by fire, and was stunned to learn it had been done by her husband in order to control her. “That really surprised me, because she was a very educated woman,” says Guest. “It really set me questioning.” | As an assistant practitioner in the regional burns unit at the University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM), her eyes were opened to the problem in 2010. She saw an Indian woman who had been scarred by fire, and was stunned to learn it had been done by her husband in order to control her. “That really surprised me, because she was a very educated woman,” says Guest. “It really set me questioning.” |
| Guest now spends one day a week on the wards, and the other four as a complex needs facilitator working with vulnerable patients from the burns unit – gauging whether it is safe to allow them to go back home. Together with a social worker, Guest has devised a psychosocial questionnaire used throughout the UHSM burns unit to screen all patients, inquiring into the circumstances of the accident, and into their home, financial and mental health circumstances. | Guest now spends one day a week on the wards, and the other four as a complex needs facilitator working with vulnerable patients from the burns unit – gauging whether it is safe to allow them to go back home. Together with a social worker, Guest has devised a psychosocial questionnaire used throughout the UHSM burns unit to screen all patients, inquiring into the circumstances of the accident, and into their home, financial and mental health circumstances. |
| Signs that might put Guest and her colleagues on the alert include family members pressing to have the patient discharged, or putting limitations on their access to a mobile phone. | Signs that might put Guest and her colleagues on the alert include family members pressing to have the patient discharged, or putting limitations on their access to a mobile phone. |
| We once accepted what people told us about their injuries – now the whole burns team is much more inquisitive | We once accepted what people told us about their injuries – now the whole burns team is much more inquisitive |
| Guest has organised five conferences in Greater Manchester to raise awareness in the NHS, police, fire, ambulance and social services, about the signs of “honour” abuse. The most recent was held last week with the charity Karma Nirvana, which supports victims and survivors of forced marriage and “honour-based” abuse, and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. | Guest has organised five conferences in Greater Manchester to raise awareness in the NHS, police, fire, ambulance and social services, about the signs of “honour” abuse. The most recent was held last week with the charity Karma Nirvana, which supports victims and survivors of forced marriage and “honour-based” abuse, and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. |
| Since 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed was murdered by her parents in Warrington in 2003 for being too “westernised” (they were convicted in 2012), the response of the emergency services and other public services to honour-based violence has improved. There are now a handful of nurses with a similar role to Guest in NHS trusts in England. | Since 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed was murdered by her parents in Warrington in 2003 for being too “westernised” (they were convicted in 2012), the response of the emergency services and other public services to honour-based violence has improved. There are now a handful of nurses with a similar role to Guest in NHS trusts in England. |
| The marking of 14 July as an annual international Day of Memory for victims of honour-based violence (on what would have been Ahmed’s 29th birthday) is a powerful symbol of changing attitudes. | The marking of 14 July as an annual international Day of Memory for victims of honour-based violence (on what would have been Ahmed’s 29th birthday) is a powerful symbol of changing attitudes. |
| Racial sensitivity can no longer be an excuse to ignore the harm and death of vulnerable – usually south Asian – women. The 2014 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act criminalised forced marriage in the UK. | Racial sensitivity can no longer be an excuse to ignore the harm and death of vulnerable – usually south Asian – women. The 2014 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act criminalised forced marriage in the UK. |
| No one is sure how common these attacks are in the UK. According to Crown Prosecution Service figures, there were more than 107,000 prosecutions for “honour” crimes in the year to April 2015, up 16,000 – an increase of 18% on the previous year. But as many attacks don’t get that far, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Karma Nirvana’s helpline answers more than 750 calls per month, and the number is increasing. | No one is sure how common these attacks are in the UK. According to Crown Prosecution Service figures, there were more than 107,000 prosecutions for “honour” crimes in the year to April 2015, up 16,000 – an increase of 18% on the previous year. But as many attacks don’t get that far, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Karma Nirvana’s helpline answers more than 750 calls per month, and the number is increasing. |
| The government’s Forced Marriage Unit gave advice and support to more than 1,300 people in 2013 – 11% of them were linked to cases of victims under 16. | The government’s Forced Marriage Unit gave advice and support to more than 1,300 people in 2013 – 11% of them were linked to cases of victims under 16. |
| Detective Inspector Rick Collins, from the Oldham Public Participation Investigation Unit, leads on forced marriage for Great Manchester police. He says the repercussions of Ahmed’s death have had a “radical impact” on policing. “Safeguarding is now the massive issue. It has made policing very different. Only seven or eight years ago it was all about crime and violence figures, but now it is about outreach and working with other agencies. That is a big ask for my officers with a current decrease in staff,” he says. | Detective Inspector Rick Collins, from the Oldham Public Participation Investigation Unit, leads on forced marriage for Great Manchester police. He says the repercussions of Ahmed’s death have had a “radical impact” on policing. “Safeguarding is now the massive issue. It has made policing very different. Only seven or eight years ago it was all about crime and violence figures, but now it is about outreach and working with other agencies. That is a big ask for my officers with a current decrease in staff,” he says. |
| He is proud of a recent case in Oldham where a headteacher alerted police to a female pupil who had been taken out of school and, she feared, to Pakistan to be married. Collins’s team was able to track her down, have her repatriated within a week and put under a forced marriage protection order. | He is proud of a recent case in Oldham where a headteacher alerted police to a female pupil who had been taken out of school and, she feared, to Pakistan to be married. Collins’s team was able to track her down, have her repatriated within a week and put under a forced marriage protection order. |
| Now, rather than picking up the occasional case by chance, some public service workers are being trained. Over the past few months cohorts of 200 police have been put through “honour abuse” awareness training. | Now, rather than picking up the occasional case by chance, some public service workers are being trained. Over the past few months cohorts of 200 police have been put through “honour abuse” awareness training. |
| The UHSM burns unit does not have figures for the number of related cases it has detected, but an increase in injuries to ethnic minority women has prompted a greater investment in Guest’s post. | The UHSM burns unit does not have figures for the number of related cases it has detected, but an increase in injuries to ethnic minority women has prompted a greater investment in Guest’s post. |
| “At one time, I and my colleagues would have accepted what people told us about how they had been injured – but now the whole burns team is much more inquisitive. We don’t just treat the burn, we are looking at the whole person,” says Guest. | “At one time, I and my colleagues would have accepted what people told us about how they had been injured – but now the whole burns team is much more inquisitive. We don’t just treat the burn, we are looking at the whole person,” says Guest. |
| After applying Guest’s specially devised questionnaire, the team uses a standard risk-identification checklist, also employed by police, hospital and A&E staff, which can trigger the intervention of a multi-agency risk assessment team, and could lead to police investigations and visits from the fire service. | After applying Guest’s specially devised questionnaire, the team uses a standard risk-identification checklist, also employed by police, hospital and A&E staff, which can trigger the intervention of a multi-agency risk assessment team, and could lead to police investigations and visits from the fire service. |
| Firefighters across the country now spend much of their time out of uniform doing outreach work with vulnerable communities and safety checks in individual homes. | Firefighters across the country now spend much of their time out of uniform doing outreach work with vulnerable communities and safety checks in individual homes. |
| Yasmin Bukhari was appointed to a new post of bridging cultures co-ordinator at Greater Manchester fire service four years ago, to help staff deal with identifying the abuse. “We have access to 60,000 homes in Greater Manchester. Our firefighters are our eyes and ears – they go into homes and alert us of any suspicions,” she says. | Yasmin Bukhari was appointed to a new post of bridging cultures co-ordinator at Greater Manchester fire service four years ago, to help staff deal with identifying the abuse. “We have access to 60,000 homes in Greater Manchester. Our firefighters are our eyes and ears – they go into homes and alert us of any suspicions,” she says. |
| Alarm bells may ring when a woman from an Asian background has burns that have been treated at home, she explains. Bukhari can then arrange a visit to give safety advice and see the situation for herself. | Alarm bells may ring when a woman from an Asian background has burns that have been treated at home, she explains. Bukhari can then arrange a visit to give safety advice and see the situation for herself. |
| She admits that many fire officers find their new roles difficult. They are nervous about getting involved in cultural matters and being branded as racists. They also know that this may be the only chance they have to save a woman’s life. | She admits that many fire officers find their new roles difficult. They are nervous about getting involved in cultural matters and being branded as racists. They also know that this may be the only chance they have to save a woman’s life. |
| This week, the House of Lords will debate “honour-based” abuse. There are still many gaps in the legislation, but Guest recognises that huge advances have been made. Gone are the days when the police would refer cases of abuse that she had picked up in the burns unit to the local imam in the area where the victim lived. | This week, the House of Lords will debate “honour-based” abuse. There are still many gaps in the legislation, but Guest recognises that huge advances have been made. Gone are the days when the police would refer cases of abuse that she had picked up in the burns unit to the local imam in the area where the victim lived. |
| Guest, who recently received an MBE in recognition of her work, wants mandatory training to raise awareness about the abuse across the public services. “There is a national rollout of the Prevent training to raise awareness of radicalisation. Why doesn’t the government do the same for ‘honour’ attacks?” she asks. | |
| She adds: “I’m not a fighter for myself, but I will do anything to fight for the women and girls I look after.” |