Improvements in the legal system and the introduction of a new criminal offence for suicides linked to domestic and honour-based abuse can help to better protect vulnerable women and ensure justice for victims.
This is according to a new report from Manchester Metropolitan University that has examined the severe and often overlooked issue of domestic and honour-based suicides that can occur as a result of violence against women.
An improvement in data collection and police investigations, alongside strengthened prosecutions under the existing Suicide Act, can help to dismantle the systemic barriers that allow abuse to persist, which then leads victims to take their own lives, say researchers.
The report, Addressing Honour-Based Suicides in the Criminal Justice System, recommends the introduction of a new offence of ‘Suicide Aggravated by Harassment, Violence, or Abuse’, as well as enhanced support for vulnerable women in the UK.
Dr Maz Idriss, Senior Lecturer in Law at Manchester Metropolitan University and the report’s author, said: “Honour-based suicides particularly affect South Asian women in the UK and often occur due to coercion, prolonged abuse, and societal pressures related to honour and family reputation.
“The current legal framework fails to adequately address this issue, allowing perpetrators to evade justice. Our report highlights the challenges within the legal system and presents recommendations for reform to ensure better protection and accountability.”
Unlike honour killings, which involve direct violence, honour-based suicides are often misclassified, which researchers say leads to a lack of accountability for perpetrators.
Studies show that South Asian women, especially those aged 15-24, are at a significantly higher risk of suicide, often due to cultural barriers that prevent them from seeking help.
By implementing the recommendations in the report, legal action against those who abuse, encourage or pressure victims into or even consider suicide would be prioritised under the Suicide Act and a legal framework would be established to hold perpetrators accountable for actions that contribute to a victim’s suicide.
The report also recommends improved access to culturally sensitive mental health services for South Asian women and an increase in funding for specialist support groups.
In a launch event for the report, hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University yesterday (May 13), support charities such as the Halo Project Charity, police representatives and policymakers came together to hear more about the recommendations.
Yasmin Khan, Founder and Director of the Halo Project Charity, said: “Each suspected suicide linked to domestic abuse or honour-based abuse must be treated as a potential safeguarding and criminal matter, not simply a mental health tragedy.
“We would never allow a murderer to walk free simply because the weapon was psychological, and yet that is exactly what is happening. Domestic related suicides have now overtaken domestic homicides and within this there are victims whose families are speaking on their behalf when they are the cause. This cannot continue and we won’t let them.”
