Police have reported a 16% decrease in honour-based abuse (HBA) related offences in Merseyside, despite a rise in recorded incidents.
New Home Office figures show a 14% increase in HBA-related incidents in the region for the year ending March 2025.
These figures, released on November 6, indicate a shift: while more people are contacting the police regarding HBA, fewer cases are being recorded as crimes.
Cleo Cosens, senior marketing and communications manager at Savera UK, said: “We’re seeing more incidents being reported, but fewer cases progressing.
“More people are being recognised as at risk and not necessarily that more people are getting justice.”
Ms Cosens added that HBA is complex and difficult to evidence, meaning cases can drop off.
She described the rise in incidents as worrying but said it also shows awareness has improved.
She said: “More professionals are recognising HBA and reporting it, which means more people in Merseyside are finally being seen and reached.”
Across England and Wales, HBA-related offences rose 7% and incidents by 13%.
Police recorded 2,949 offences, up from 2,755 last year, while incidents increased from 1,810 to 2,047.
Of those offences, 109 involved female genital mutilation (FGM), which is down from 111 last year.
Forced marriage offences fell from 201 to 125.
Liverpool-based Savera UK is a charity working to end HBA and other culturally specific abuse, and CEO Afrah Qassim called for an improvement in data collection.
Ms Qassim said: “The data published today is a stark indicator of the vital need for significant improvement in data collection regarding HBA.
“Today’s figures also only show those offences and incidents reported to police… They do not include data on referrals made into specialist services like Savera UK.”
She said the 55 HBA-related offences and 262 incidents reported in Merseyside and Cheshire were not a true reflection.
In the same period, Savera UK helped 339 clients, had 293 new referrals and received 677 calls to its helpline.
Ms Qassim added that HBA is often linked to other harmful practices, including spiritual abuse and conversion ‘therapy’, and these must also be recognised in future.
(Figure 1: Percentage change in honour-based abuse (HBA)-related incidents and offences in Merseyside and England & Wales, year ending March 2025. Source: Home Office / Savera UK analysis.)
