"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 added. It can take the smallest things, like somebody saying the word Iraq my head turns instantly, it's a fear."
"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. I worry, 100%, that the climate now could prevent women from coming forward today."
Bekhal Mahmod has lived under a new identity for two decades after testifying in the trial of her father and uncle for the honour killing of her sister Banaz in 2007. Banaz, aged 20, left an arranged marriage to be with another man and reported violence and threats to police but was dismissed by an officer. Campaigners propose a statutory definition of honour-based abuse informed by survivors to improve professional recognition, empower victims, and secure convictions. Peers tabled amendments to the crime and policing bill to adopt Banaz's law proposals, while concerns about a hostile migration climate risk deterring victims from coming forward.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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