"Honor" Violence Against Women Soars in Britain

02-11-2008

The British newspaper The Independent reports that "Up to 17,000 women in Britain are being subjected to "honour" related violence, including murder, every year…The Association of Chief Police Officers …warns that the number of girls falling victim to forced marriages, kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings and even murder by relatives intent on upholding the "honour" of their family is up to 35 times higher than official figures suggest."

It adds that females, some as young as 11, "have been taken overseas to be married against their will (and) are now being rescued on an almost daily basis."

"Women aged 16 to 24 from Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi backgrounds are three times more likely to kill themselves than the national average for women of their age."

Of course, honor violence exists in the U.S., as well.  Amina and Sarah Said were gunned down in Texas on New Years Day, allegedly by their father, who is missing. (photos of the girls).

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