“Behind Closed Doors”, domestic abuse film premiers in York
Illegal Cultural Harms are often “hidden crimes”, however they are illegal acts which often go underreported or under recognised.
National figures, endorsed by the Halo Project, suggest that one girl or woman is killed every month as part of “honour”-based abuse, and there are officially over 17,000 incidents of “honour”-based abuse or forced marriage in the UK every year, although as is often the case with “hidden crimes” this is widely believed to be underreported.
The film, titled Behind Closed Doors, was supported by the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning (OPFCC) through the Serious Violence Duty.
Created and produced by the Halo Project, a charity providing support to BME women and girls who are victims of violence and abuse, Behind Closed Doors has been co-produced with local women survivors aged 25 and under from Black and Minoritised Ethnic Communities.
The aim of the film is to raise awareness among all people of the dangers of “honour”- based abuse and illegal cultural harms being experienced by women Black and Minoritised Ethnic Communities, and has been created through a collaboration of true accounts experienced by survivors of such abuse in York and North Yorkshire.
Behind Closed Doors will also become a part of a bespoke training pack available to schools and colleges, helping them to plan lessons raising awareness of “honour”-based abuse.
The training package will be made available to schools and colleges across North Yorkshire in the coming months. If you would like to receive a notification when the resource is available please email [email protected]
The Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning has successfully invested in the production of similar awareness raising films in the past, notably the anti-stalking film Just a Kiss, which can be viewed online.
Behind Closed Doors was screened before an audience of local safeguarding professionals at the Everyman Cinema in York at 3pm on September 12th. The event included expert speakers and a Q&A session led by Yasmin Khan, Halo Project CEO, who also serves the National Adviser to the Welsh Government on Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence.
Also in attendance at the event were a number of clients of the Halo Project, who have received support following their experiences of “honour”-based abuse.
Speaking anonymously, one offered advice to those who may be victims of “honour”-based abuse:
“My advice is don’t be scared. There’s help out there, and if you feel trapped and find yourself seeing the signs either in yourself or other people, you can always get out of that vicious circle.”
If you or a loved one are in need of support from the Halo Project, visit their website, www.haloproject.org.uk/ or telephone their specialist support line on 01642 683045 Monday to Friday.
Yasmin Khan, Founder and Director of The Halo Project said:
“Breaking the silence is the first step to breaking the cycle.
“Together, we must remove the barriers that keep BME victims of “honour”-based abuse in the shadows, and build a future where every voice is heard, every story matters, and every life is valued.”
Jo Coles, York and North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime, speaking at the event said:
”I am committed to working closely with all our partners to reduce the levels of violence against women and girls across York and North Yorkshire.
“The number of cases of “honour” based violence reported to the police in North Yorkshire is small, but we know there’s likely to be significant under-reporting of this kind of abuse in families.
“I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to provide funding for this film to improve awareness and to encourage victims to come forward.
“Huge thanks to the Halo project for the work on this film and for the confidential support they provide to victims who contact them.”
Nazir Afzal, former CPS prosecutor, said via a recorded message at the event:
“The answer to tackling this, is not just about punishment […]
“At its core, the response has to be about awareness and education”
Kiran Thind, Co-producer and writer of Behind Closed Doors, said:
“I was alarmed by the rate at which Violence Against Women and Girls is perpetrated during my research for the film. Much of the mainstream media coverage of these events focusses on “honour” killings, but there is a huge need also to signpost people towards services that can help them.
There is a whole subsection of abuse that goes unreported and overlooked. It was amazing seeing the film brought to life, and I hope it helps those viewing it to understand that survivors voices matter.”
