POLICE want to drag honour-based abuse out of the shadows as they launch the third part of their 'Hidden Harm' campaign.

The force wants to raise awareness of the strand of abuse, which is committed to defend the perceived honour of a family or community.

Thames Valley Police has dealt with 1,200 cases of honour-based abuse (HBA) throughout the past four years, with nearly 200 of those incidents taking place in Oxfordshire.

Between April 2014 and March of this year, officers dealt with 128 HBA-related incidents in Oxford, 52 in Cherwell and West Oxfordshire and 18 in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse.

Detective superintendent Nick John, head of protecting vulnerable people at TVP, said: “Anyone can be a victim of honour based abuse, regardless of age, gender, race or religion.

“This kind of crime is hidden and under-reported so we need to do what we can to put it in the spotlight to raise awareness and understanding.

“It can manifest itself in many forms – emotional, physical and sexual. The actual crimes can range from threats of violence to murder.”

While honour-based abuse can befall anybody it is particularly prevalent within Asian and traveller communities and often includes a religious motive.

Honour-based abuse can involve forced marriages or, conversely, be directed at individuals in relationships of which a community or family disapproves.

The abuse can also be aimed at homosexuals, people who lose their virginity outside of marriage, those who rebel against traditional values or clothing and people who have extramarital affairs.

Det Supt John is appealing to those who may witness HBA but also victims, who may find reporting such crimes difficult for a number of reasons.

The campaign, running until July 15, will aim to raise awareness in a variety of ways, from social media channels to neighbourhood officers carrying out community engagement. TVP will also support the National Day of Memory for Honour Based Killings on July 14.

Follow the campaign @ThamesVP on Twitter

Det Supt John said: “Our first priority is always to keep people safe from harm. Just because you contact us doesn’t mean you’re going to be taken away from your family or that they’ll be prosecuted.”