More attention should be paid to individual rights for women during the Dutch integration process as reports of honour-based violence are mounting, police have said.

Some 619 cases of honour-related abuse were reported last year to the dedicated police unit Landelijk Expertisecentrum Eergerelateerd Geweld, compared to 460 10 years ago. Syrian nationals, whose number has grown to 150,000 over the years, are relatively often the perpetrators of the violence, the figures show.

Last year, a quarter of the honour-related incidents concerned Syrians, followed by Turkish, Moroccan and Afghan families.

Two-thirds of the cases involved threats and physical abuse while other frequently reported instances were about control, sexual abuse and forced marriages. Four women were victims of so-called honour killings.

It is unclear if the rise means more honour-based violence is taking place or that more incidents are being reported.

Police have asked the social affairs ministry to include the issue in the educational material used in the integration process. “It must be made clear to newcomers that choosing a partner is the right of the individual in this country,” chief of the dedicated police unit Wilfred Janmaat told broadcaster NOS. “If that is not already happening then it should.”

Research has shown that honour-related violence often occurs when the wives of Syrian refugees demand more freedom of movement or want a divorce once they are in this country. Syrian men also experience a loss of status because they have lost their position as provider.

The traumas of war are also a factor, cultural anthropologist and criminologist said Janine Janssen, who assists police in dealing with cases of honour-based violence. “Exposure to the violence of war can lead to psychological problems but can also lower the threshold for individuals to become violent themselves,” she said.

Court case

“A conflict can escalate into a killing,” Janssen said.

On Friday, two men from Joure in Friesland are on trial for the murder of their sister Ryan, who was killed in May this year.

Ryan’s body was found dumped n the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve. Her father is also a suspect but he has left the country and may have gone back to Syria. He told the Telegraaf he was taking responsibility for killing his daughter, saying she had made him “very angry”.

Ryan was reportedly physically abused, forced to wear a headscarf and about to enter into a forced marriage when she was killed.

Group pressure

“Girls who lose their virginity outside marriage, or who choose a partner the family doesn’t approve of while the girl has been promised to someone else are triggers for major conflict,” Janssen said.  Group pressure also plays a part because the honour of the family is not only a matter for the father but also of brothers and uncles.

Most victims are female but men who are gay or in an adulterous relationship are also under threat.  Social media are making the situation even more complex, Janmaat said. “For instance, a boy may ask a girl to send him a sexy photo and it ends up being seen by her relatives her or abroad,” he said.

It is a mistake to think honour-based violence only happens in families with an Islamic background. “We see it in other groups as well. Incidents like this involve people from all over the world,” she told the broadcaster.