Tag: statement

Grey graphic with a faded pale orange mandala in the background. Big text that says "Statement" and underneath is the Savera UK logo.

STATEMENT: Five men sentenced for Telford ‘Honour’ Kidnap

Last week at Shrewsbury Crown Court, five men were sentenced to almost 30 years in prison for their part in an ‘honour’ kidnapping, and the torture of their 21-year-old male victim, in a crime that the judge said was driven by “perceived family ‘honour’”.

Shocking footage showed the gang – with whom the victim had previously been lifelong friends – snatching the man from outside his home in Telford and forcing him into the boot of their car in front of his mother on 29th December 2025.

He was then taken to a hired shipping container where he was tied to a chair and beaten, before escaping and locking himself in the car, and driving away to raise the alarm. The attack came after the man had entered into a relationship with the sister of two of the perpetrators.

Shayyan Hussain, 24, Faheem Chohan, 23, and Ehteshan Hussain, 22, were jailed for seven-and-a-half years and Jawad Hussain, 21, was sentenced to seven years. The four had previously pleaded guilty to kidnap. The fifth man, Haider Ali, 22, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of kidnap by a jury.

Speaking of the case, Savera UK CEO and Founder, Afrah Qassim, said: “We welcome the sentencing of these men for this abhorrent crime and are pleased that the motive of ‘honour’ was recognised in this case.

“The hallmarks of ‘honour’ in the case were clear. There were multiple perpetrators who were all known to the victim. The two brothers were described as taking a “leading operational role”, two men who were their distant cousins “willingly participated” in the attack, which was not undertaken on “impulse” but after significant preparation.

“The attack followed a series of escalating incidents designed to intimidate the young man and warn him off the relationship, including cars driving past the victim’s house or following him on the motorway as he drove to work, and on one occasion, being confronted with a baseball bat.

“As often happens in cases of ‘honour’ abuse and violence, the perpetrators were acting under a “misguided sense of familial responsibility” as they did not approve of the relationship. However, this does not excuse their actions as the outcome of the case illustrates. This was unacceptable violence and abuse that cannot be justified or excused.

“This case also shines a light on male survivors of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and violence. Data of reported cases of HBA indicates that women and girls are more likely to be  affected or at risk. However, we know that reported and identified cases are just the tip of the iceberg. Due to misconceptions about what HBA looks like, who is likely to be affected and lack of professional awareness of the issue, many cases are simply not recognised. This is even more true for male survivors, as such cases do not fit stereotypes associated with HBA.

“We are pleased that justice has been served for this young man and praise his bravery in speaking out against ‘honour’ abuse, and we hope that he and his family are receiving appropriate care and support as he moves forward with his life.”

You can read more about the case here.

Grey graphic with a faded pale orange mandala in the background. Big text that says "Statement" and underneath is the Savera UK logo.

STATEMENT: Draft Conversion Practices Bill

Last week, the government published the long-awaited draft conversion practices (also known as conversion ‘therapy’) Bill, which criminalises “abusive acts” aiming to change someone’s sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Publishing the draft Bill, the Home Office said that it will ensure LGBT+ people are “protected from physical and psychological abuse to change who they are”, with jail sentences of up to five years for those carrying out such practices proposed.

Afrah Qassim, Savera UK CEO and Founder said: “We welcome the publication of the draft Bill to ban conversion practices, but this is just the starting point.

“What is needed now is robust scrutiny from LGBTQ+ people, survivors and the specialist organisations that support them, who have been waiting eight long years for this moment. This scrutiny is vital because it will ensure that the Bill is fit for purpose and will not fail those it has been created to protect.

“On reading the draft Bill, we have already identified a number of concerns and potential loopholes that could allow perpetrators to continue conversion practices or place barriers before survivors seeking justice.

“The Bill in its current form requires proof of intention to cause someone to change, or believe they have changed, their sexual orientation or transgender identity, which may be more difficult to prove than the abuse itself.

“The Bill also explicitly exempts conduct carried out in the course of providing healthcare services unless it falls “far below the standards reasonably expected”, an extremely high legal threshold that could create a loophole allowing private practitioners to continue conversion practices under the guise of “exploratory therapy” or alternative clinical assessments. 

“It also does not consider the intersection with ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA), in which perpetrators

mistakenly believe someone has brought shame to their family or community by doing something that is not in keeping with the beliefs of their culture and/or family or community values.

“For an offense to be committed, the practice must be deemed “abusive” and proven to cause “serious harm” or “substantial adverse effects” on daily activities. This again is restrictive, as HBA is often not direct or explicit. It can involve coercive control, emotional and psychological abuse and forced marriage, seeking to hide or suppress an individual’s sexuality or gender identity to maintain or restore a family or community’s ‘honour’.

“Working with survivors of conversion ‘therapy’ and HBA, we know that abuse is not always extreme or obvious. Sometimes it is framed as protection, faith, culture or love, even though it is abuse and a violation of human rights. The current framework of this Bill is too narrow, leaving huge gaps for people to fall through.

“The government has taken the first, very welcome, step. We now urge it to consult with survivors, the LGBTQ+ community and frontline specialist teams, to instigate a public call for evidence and listen to those with lived experience and professional expertise to create a Bill that will be fit for purpose and will fully protect all LGBTQ+ people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds from these abhorrent practices.”