FGM protection orders & honour-based abuse — urgent protection routes

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-28

FGM protection orders (FGMPO)

A Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order protects a girl (or woman) at risk of FGM — inside the UK or abroad. Orders can:

Prohibit FGM and any steps towards it (bookings, travel arrangements, "ceremonies")
Require passports/survival documents to be surrendered
Direct that a child be brought before the court or protected by contact conditions
Apply to people who are not even in the UK (orders can be made against relatives abroad who are arranging FGM)

Applying is FREE and can be done urgently — often the same day, without notice to the people who pose the risk. Applicants can be the child (through a representative), a parent, the local authority, or anyone with the court's permission. Breach is a criminal offence (up to 5 years). For a child at risk of FGM you must also report to the police and children's services — teachers and health professionals have mandatory reporting duties.

Honour-based abuse

"Honour"-based abuse (HBV) covers violence, threats, harassment or control justified by family or community "honour" — including forced marriage, threats of removal abroad, surveillance and isolation. It is abuse under the same family-court framework, and the specific risk factors matter: the whole family or community may be involved, so standard safe-exit advice must be adapted.

Immediate routes

999 if danger is immediate (press 55 if you can't speak)
Forced Marriage Unit: 020 7008 0151 — see our FMU page
Refuge National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (24/7)
Karma Nirvana (HBV specialist): 0800 5999 247
NSPCC FGM helpline: 0800 028 3550
Use a safe device — always. See our forced marriage and DA support pages.

How this fits your family court case

FGMPOs and FL401 orders can run alongside child arrangements proceedings; Cafcass treats FGM and HBV as significant-harm safeguarding issues at the highest level.

Official links

FGM protection orders: https://www.gov.uk/forced-marriage (and FGM guidance)
FGM helpline: https://www.nspcc.org.uk

This page is general information, not legal advice. YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory and is not affiliated with HMCTS or gov.uk.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.