Victims of honour-based violence as young as 14 are seeking refuge in Scotland’s biggest city after fleeing forced marriages.
Rajni Pandher, from the Hemat Gryffe Women Aid in Glasgow, spoke out about the cases linked to new police figures which show more than 1000 have been recorded since records began eight years ago.
They include women being forced into arranged marriages, kept prisoner in their homes, abducted, taken abroad and even murdered.
Usually the victims are being punished for bringing shame to their family or not complying with a husband’s wishes.
A total of 1064 people have been targeted and campaigners believe a decrease in the past two years – 137 in 2020 and 118 last year - was due to women being trapped at home in the pandemic.
Rajni works as services manager for Hemat, which is contacted by about 300 women a year. It has a secret refuge which provides accommodation for up to nine women at a time.
She said: “The Police Scotland figures do not surprise me. The only reason there has been a slight drop in the last two years is due to lockdown restrictions keeping women at home and unable to seek help.
“Honour-based abuse (HBA) can range from being locked in a bedroom and having your mobile phone taken away to assaults and even murder. We’ve also seen women abducted and taken abroad under false pretences if they try to leave home.
“We had one case where a husband took his wife to Pakistan, then abandoned her in a hotel without her passport.”
Rajni has seen girls as young as 14 and 15 forced into marriages with older men.
She added: “This can involve lot of emotional blackmail and grooming over a number of years. They’re promised a house or car to coerce them into an arranged marriage.
“When they come to us or the police for help in getting out of the marriage, they then find themselves being subjected to further abuse for dishonouring the family name.”
In 2017 Abdul Sattar, 49, who owned a shop in Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, was jailed for life for the honour-based murder of his wife Mumtaz. He had lured her to Pakistan on the pretext of a holiday and had her murdered.
Rajni added: “A lot of women do not realise there is help out there. There needs to be more recognition of honour-based abuse and training to help identify it.”
Detective Chief Inspector Gillian Fairlie said: “We are committed to working to reduce the harm caused by crimes associated with honour-based abuse, to increase confidence in reporting to the police and, ultimately, to eradicate HBA.”
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