Banaz Mahmod was murdered 20 years ago; the fight for a law on ‘honour’-based abuse goes on | Domestic violence

Bekhal Mahmod has lived under a new identity for two decades, fearing for her life after testifying in the 2007 trial of her father and uncle for the murder of her sister, Banaz Mahmod. As the 20th anniversary of Banaz’s death approaches, Bekhal is advocating for “Banaz’s law” – proposals aimed at improving the response to “honour”-based abuse – while expressing concern that current anti-immigrant sentiment could deter other victims from coming forward.

Banaz Mahmod’s Murder and the Push for “Banaz’s Law”

Banaz Mahmod, 20, was killed after leaving an arranged marriage and seeking a relationship with another man. She had reported threats and violence to police, but a female officer dismissed her concerns as manipulative and melodramatic.

“I’m always looking over my shoulder. I’m never going to let my guard down,” Bekhal Mahmod said. “[Banaz’s murder] will never leave my life.” She described being triggered by even simple things, like hearing the word “Iraq,” and experiencing an immediate sense of fear.

“Banaz’s law” proposes a statutory definition of “honour”-based abuse, informed by survivor experiences, to improve professional recognition of the signs, empower victims to report abuse, and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. Peers recently tabled amendments to the crime and policing bill urging ministers to adopt the proposals, which the government has said it will consider.

Concerns Over Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

Bekhal fears the current climate of anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK could discourage victims of “honour”-based abuse from seeking help. She and her four sisters experienced violent abuse escalating after their family moved to the UK in 1998, coinciding with the rise of the far-right British National party.

“I had indefinite leave to remain but I feared [the authorities] weren’t going to take me seriously or help me, that they were just going to see me as just an immigrant using our funds and our system,” she said. “I worry, 100%, that the climate now could prevent women from coming forward today.”

Sanskriti Sanghi, a campaigns manager at Southall Black Sisters (SBS), noted that framing migration as a threat to women and girls is “damaging” to women’s safety. Sanghi emphasized that violence against women and girls is most often perpetrated by someone known to the victim, and cuts across all ethnicities, despite myths to the contrary.

Government Response and Ongoing Advocacy

SBS is also campaigning for the government to extend existing migrant victim of domestic abuse provisions to all migrant women, regardless of immigration status. This aims to protect women from being forced to choose between an abusive relationship and destitution or deportation.

In a recent House of Lords debate, Liberal Democrat peer Dee Doocey described Banaz’s murder as “emblematic of wider patterns of institutional failure” in responding to “honour”-based abuse. Justice minister Alison Levitt stated the government did not believe making “honour”-based abuse a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing was necessary, given existing guidelines, but would welcome further discussion.

Levitt said the government is committed to introducing statutory guidance and a statutory definition of “honour”-based abuse, emphasizing the need to ensure the definition is comprehensive and avoids unintended consequences. She added that the government is “getting on with this work… quickly,” but did not provide a specific timeline.