The heartbroken mum of Fawziyah Javed, who was ruthlessly murdered by her husband in 2021, has spoken out as the Scottish Government cracks down on ‘honour-based’ abuse with new measures.
Pregnant Mum Killed at Arthur’s Seat
Fawziyah, 31 and heavily pregnant, was brutally pushed by husband Kashif Anwar from Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat in September 2021 after he found out she planned to leave him. Despite falling and sustaining multiple blunt force injuries, the brave mum-to-be managed to name her attacker before she died.
The horrific killing shook the nation and shone a spotlight on ‘honour’ crimes — violent acts committed to defend family reputation.
Scottish Government Hits Back with New Definition
Now, the Scottish Government has announced a “long-overdue” formal definition of honour-based abuse. It covers physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and even murder. The new guidelines aim to help police and support services spot victims earlier and stop more tragedies from happening.
Fawziyah’s Mum Vows Justice and Change
“This must never ever happen again. Another family cannot go through this. He’s got a prison sentence, but we’ve got a life sentence until our last breath on this earth. For your only child to be brutally murdered alongside her unborn baby, time is definitely not a healer. It gets more difficult as time goes by. Every day is a battle to get through. There is no way to express something as horrific as this for a family. It can’t happen again. It just can’t. It does bring me comfort that this progress is Fawziyah’s legacy and I’m optimistic lives will be saved because authorities will better recognise the signs and protect women and girls.”
Justice Served: Killer Jailed for 20 Years
Anwar, from Leeds, denied murdering Fawziyah but was found guilty after a week-long trial at Edinburgh’s High Court in 2023. He was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
