MORE than 450 women came to a Waltham Forest charity's refuges for help in the last 12 months, with one in four victims of forced marriages, it has been revealed.

Shaminder Ubhi is the director of the Ashiana project, which runs three refuges in Waltham Forest, two of which are the only facilities in the country for women at risk of honour-based violence or being forced into marriage.

Speaking after the conviction of Mehmet Goren, of Navestock Crescent, Woodford Green, for murdering his 15-year-old daughter Tulay, Mrs Ubhi said perpetrators of honour violence should not be able to “hide behind culture or religion”.

She said: “In the past police have sometimes been concerned about cultural sensitivities, that it is racist to intervene, but honour violence is an abuse of human rights.

“The Goren case is shocking but hopefully it will make people aware that it does not matter what community you are from, you are responsible for your actions.”

Mrs Ubhi said the problem is not just confined to places like Waltham Forest, although its relatively high proportion of south Asian residents means it does have a higher number of cases than some boroughs.

She said: “These are patriarchal societies in which honour resides with the woman.

“There has been a substantial increase in cases, but that maybe because women are more confident about asking for help.”

Mrs Ubhi says the Ashiana Network wants to raise awareness of the problem, so more women can ask for help or see professionals.

She urges anybody who is a victim of, or at risk of, honour-based violence or is being forced into a marriage, to contact the project.

People who know victims or potential victims can also get in touch.

All calls will be treated with the strictest confidence.

To contact Ashiana call 8539 0427/9656 or visit www.ashiana.org.uk

See Guardian comment on the issue http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/opinion/wfopinion/4815230.GUARDIAN_COMMENT__Criticising_forced_marriage_is_not_racist/

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