For two decades, Bekhal Mahmod has lived a life in the shadows, constantly watching over her shoulder. Her existence in witness protection is the direct consequence of her courage in standing against her own family following one of Britain's most notorious honour killings – the brutal rape and murder of her younger sister, Banaz.
A Campaign Born from Tragedy
Now, Bekhal is spearheading a campaign for a crucial legal change known as 'Banaz's Law'. The proposed law would formally recognise honour-based abuse as a statutory aggravating factor during sentencing, ensuring harsher penalties for such culturally-motivated crimes. She is backed by the women's rights organisation Southall Black Sisters.
The horrific case dates back to January 2006. Banaz Mahmod, a 20-year-old from Mitcham, London, was killed on the orders of her father, Mahmod Mahmod, and her uncle, Ari Mahmod. Her 'crime' was leaving an abusive, arranged marriage and falling in love with another man.
Systemic Failures and a Fatal Outcome
Before her death, Banaz's pleas for help were repeatedly ignored. She had been forced as a teenager to marry a man a decade older, who subjected her to repeated rape and beatings. After leaving him, she went to the police on four separate occasions, naming five men who were threatening her and stating explicitly that her family wanted her dead. Tragically, officers dismissed her claims; one even labelled her as 'manipulative'.
Three weeks after fleeing an attempted murder on New Year's Eve 2005, Banaz was dead. Her family recruited others to carry out the killing. She was raped by three of her cousins before being strangled. Her body was stuffed into a suitcase, driven to Birmingham, and buried in the garden of an abandoned house in Handsworth, where it was discovered three months later.
Justice Served, But Fear Remains
After her boyfriend, Rahmat Sulemani, reported her missing, a major investigation began. In a landmark 2007 trial at the Old Bailey, her father and uncle were convicted of murder and given life sentences with minimum terms of 20 and 23 years respectively. Other relatives, including cousins Mohamad Hama, Omar Hussain, and Mohamad Saleh Ali, were also convicted and jailed for life.
Bekhal, who had fled the family home in 2002, provided vital evidence that helped secure the convictions. She has lived under protection ever since. "I'm never going to let my guard down," she told the Guardian. "It can take the smallest things, like somebody saying the word Iraq … my head turns instantly, it's a fear."
In a shocking postscript, Banaz's uncle, Ali Mahmod, later tried to sue ITV for £400,000 over a documentary and a drama, 'Honour', about the killing. Representing himself, he told the High Court that honour-based murder was 'normal' in his Iraqi Muslim culture and complained the rape allegation damaged his reputation. His case was thrown out by the judge.
Campaigners stress that Banaz's case is not isolated. Honour-Based Abuse (HBA) encompasses forced marriage, rape, beatings, and murder. In the year ending March 2024, police in England and Wales recorded 2,755 HBA-related offences – nearly five every day. Experts believe the true figure is far higher due to under-reporting.
Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, a campaigner who was promised in marriage at age eight and now runs the charity Karma Nirvana, criticised professionals who hesitate through fear of being called racist. "All you're doing is giving the perpetrators more power by not doing so," she stated.
The campaign for Banaz's Law seeks to ensure that the legal system unequivocally recognises the unique, coercive nature of these crimes, offering greater protection to potential victims and delivering stronger justice for those like Banaz who were so catastrophically failed.
