Concerns over 'honour-based coercion' after woman murdered by her husband in Hull

A review into the case of a woman from Hull who was murdered by her husband and dumped by a roadside says more needs to be done to tackle so-called "honour-based coercion".

The woman's body was found in bin bags by the side of the A15, near the Humber Bridge, in September 2017.She was stabbed to death by her husband after telling him she wanted to end their marriage.

He had been abusive and violent while they were together and was later jailed for life.

The couple, who were from the Middle East, have had their names changed in a domestic homicide review carried out by a group of organisations in East Yorkshire.

It says the woman – referred to as "Marcia" – had made a number of attempts to leave her husband, called "Stephan".

But the review says a lack of understanding of different cultures hampered attempts to help the woman and her children and says more needs to be done to tackle "honour-based coercion".

It says: "In this case the honour of the family is preventing the victim from taking appropriate action against the perpetrator.

"This is subtler than honour-based violence and requires further training."

What is honour-based abuse?

Honour-based abuse can take many forms.

It is often thought of as related to repressive cultural or religious custom and can affect people of all ages, but often begins early in the family home.

Examples include child and forced marriage, enforced abortion, female genital mutilation, as well as physical, sexual and economic abuse and coercive control.

Control is often established without overt violence against the victim. For example, family members may threaten to kill themselves or ostracise the victim.

There is currently little accurate data on the true extent of the problem but the charity Karma Nirvana supports over 2,000 victims every year.

The woman was stabbed to death in 2017. Police were called after she failed did to take her children to school.

Her husband told officers she had left him after he found her with another man. He later claimed he killed her accidentally but eventually pleaded guilty in court.

The independent chair of the review, Tony Blockley, said agencies could not be blamed for major failings in the case, saying it was a "very sad case" of a woman who "despite living within an abusive and violent relationship had worked hard to provide independence for herself and her children.”

But the report said there was a need to understand different cultures.

It said: "The review identified that there is a need for greater understanding of culture for agencies, who should be able to identify and differentiate between cultures and adapt their response accordingly.

"It is also important for agencies to understand the impact coercive and controlling behaviour and the associated risks.

"The ability to take a holistic view is important and allows professionals to understand and respond to needs accordingly."