Honour-Based Abuse: CPS Updates Guidance to Tackle Emerging Forms

Published: 26 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has released updated guidance to address honour-based abuse effectively. This guidance, now including dowry, immigration, and spiritual abuse, aims to equip prosecutors with practical tools to tackle increasingly complex forms of domestic violence. Honour-based abuse, often hidden behind family or cultural traditions, can involve coercion, threats, or physical violence, with victims frequently trapped by social or legal pressures. The CPS emphasised that these changes reflect growing concern about emerging harmful practices that extend beyond traditional forms of abuse.

For the first time, the guidance explicitly covers dowry-related abuse, immigration exploitation, and transnational marriage abandonment, reflecting patterns increasingly observed by frontline organisations. Perpetrators may exploit a person’s immigration status, controlling finances or withholding critical documents to maintain power and prevent victims from seeking support. Similarly, transnational marriage abandonment involves a spouse being deliberately taken abroad and left without means to return, creating extreme vulnerability and long-term trauma for those affected.

While honour-based abuse is not yet defined as a standalone criminal offence, prosecutors are advised to use domestic abuse and coercive or controlling behaviour frameworks when building cases. The CPS guidance provides detailed advice on recognising these forms of abuse, ensuring that cases are investigated and prosecuted consistently across England and Wales. Experts working with minoritised and migrant communities have highlighted that these forms of abuse are often underreported and overlooked, making clear legal guidance vital for effective intervention.

Selma Taha, executive director of Southall Black Sisters, praised the guidance for its recognition of dowry and immigration abuse, stressing that frontline experience informed its development. She noted that the guidance’s real impact will depend on measurable improvements in safeguarding, accountability for perpetrators, and collaboration with specialist support services. The update reflects an understanding that tackling abuse requires systemic commitment, not just legal instruments, to protect victims and dismantle entrenched patterns of coercion.

The guidance also addresses spiritual and ritualistic abuse, encompassing practices linked to beliefs in witchcraft, spirit possession, or demonic influence. These cases can include physical violence, starvation, forced ingestion of harmful substances, or psychological harm to children and vulnerable adults. Such abuse often overlaps with emotional, financial, or sexual harm, and victims may struggle to access support due to fear, stigma, or isolation. Prosecutors are encouraged to consider the wider cultural and familial context in these cases, ensuring comprehensive protection for affected individuals.

Additionally, the CPS has issued guidance on virginity testing and hymenoplasty following the government ban under the Health and Care Act 2022. These practices, often justified under the guise of cultural or religious norms, are now explicitly treated as harmful and prosecutable, reinforcing the commitment to safeguarding young women and girls. By providing clear legal pathways and investigative strategies, prosecutors are better prepared to tackle these complex abuses.

The CPS defines honour-based abuse as any act involving violence, threats, intimidation, coercion, or other abuse to protect or defend the “honour” of an individual, family, or community. Although legal recognition as a distinct offence is pending, the government has announced plans to codify this definition, aiming for consistent legal practice, better trend identification, and improved victim signposting. The definition underscores that honour-based abuse is not cultural justification but a serious violation of human rights that demands intervention.

Ellie Reeves, solicitor general, emphasised the government’s commitment to reducing violence against women and girls, highlighting the CPS’s strengthened guidance as a critical tool for prosecution. Reeves stressed that recognising patterns of abuse and building robust cases ensures that perpetrators are held accountable while victims receive protection and support. This approach aligns with the broader Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, which seeks to embed early intervention and safeguarding across justice systems.

Baljit Ubhey, CPS director of policy, underscored the seriousness of honour-based abuse in all forms, noting the immense coercive control and fear experienced by victims. He explained that updated guidance enables prosecutors to identify emerging patterns, consider contextual factors, and act decisively to safeguard victims. The guidance also encourages ongoing collaboration with specialist organisations, ensuring that victims benefit from expertise and tailored interventions that address the multifaceted nature of abuse.

Data collected by the CPS shows a significant overlap between honour-based crimes and domestic abuse, with 93.5% of related charges connected to intimate partner or family violence. This highlights the need for holistic strategies that consider the intersections between cultural, social, and legal vulnerabilities. Training and awareness initiatives within the CPS are designed to help staff recognise evolving abuse patterns, ensuring timely and effective responses that prioritise victim safety.

The guidance builds on the CPS’s five-year VAWG strategy, launched in November, which focuses on equipping staff to respond to emerging threats and protect those at greatest risk. Prosecutors are encouraged to engage closely with specialist services and community organisations to ensure that safeguarding measures are both culturally sensitive and legally sound. The approach recognises that long-term solutions require systemic engagement, robust legal frameworks, and sustained efforts to challenge harmful social norms that perpetuate abuse.

Through this guidance, the CPS aims to create a more consistent and responsive legal framework for honour-based abuse. By incorporating insights from frontline organisations and legal experts, prosecutors are better equipped to address complex cases that previously fell outside traditional legal categories. The guidance emphasises the importance of understanding victims’ lived experiences, recognising the intersecting vulnerabilities of women, children, and vulnerable adults, and ensuring accountability for those who commit acts of coercion or violence.

The inclusion of spiritual and immigration-related abuse, alongside dowry and transnational abandonment, marks a significant step forward in recognising the full spectrum of honour-based abuse. By doing so, the CPS aims to close gaps in prosecution, prevent harm before escalation, and signal a clear societal message that such abuses will not be tolerated. Training initiatives, combined with specialist guidance, are intended to strengthen the justice system’s ability to respond proactively and effectively to complex forms of domestic and cultural abuse.

Prosecutors are urged to take a comprehensive approach, considering both legal evidence and contextual factors, to ensure that victims are protected and perpetrators are prosecuted successfully. The guidance highlights the importance of early intervention, cultural awareness, and collaboration with specialist services to mitigate the risks faced by vulnerable populations. By equipping legal professionals with clear frameworks and practical tools, the CPS is working to enhance victim safety and reduce the prevalence of coercion and control across the United Kingdom.

As the guidance is implemented, specialist organisations and advocates will monitor its effectiveness, emphasising accountability, safeguarding, and measurable outcomes. The combined efforts of the CPS, government initiatives, and frontline organisations aim to deliver meaningful change for victims of honour-based abuse. Continued evaluation, research, and policy development will be essential to ensure that new legal tools translate into real-world protection for vulnerable communities across England and Wales.

The updated CPS guidance represents a significant evolution in the legal response to honour-based abuse. By formally recognising forms of abuse previously overlooked, prosecutors now have stronger frameworks to act decisively. Victims of dowry exploitation, immigration abuse, spiritual abuse, or transnational abandonment can access improved protection, while perpetrators face clear legal consequences. The guidance marks a pivotal moment in advancing justice, safeguarding vulnerable individuals, and reinforcing that coercion or abuse in the name of “honour” will not be tolerated.

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