Parents of pregnant lawyer killed in Edinburgh push for reforms on honour-based abuse

Fawziyah Javed, a 31-year-old pregnant lawyer, was killed on September 2, 2021, when her husband, Kashif Anwar, pushed her from a cliff at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, plunging about 50 feet to her death. Witnesses and first responders heard her last breaths as she named Anwar as her killer. Anwar was convicted of murder in 2023 and sentenced to a minimum of 20 years.

Javed was a bright, ambitious professional who had been privately educated and studied law at Sheffield University before joining a Leeds firm after graduation. She and Anwar began dating in 2020 and married eight months later. Her mother, Yasmin Javed, says Anwar initially appeared charming, but the marriage quickly became controlling. He isolated her from family, pressed her to come off social media, and transferred about £12,000 from her account to his own. The couple had planned to leave after a trip to Edinburgh; Fawziyah had expressed a desire to start anew after the holiday.

Police records show Fawziyah reported violence and coercive control twice. The police told her she was at medium risk, and a week later they reassessed the case as high risk, a change that was never communicated to her, her mother says. If that information had been shared, Yasmin says, her daughter might have left immediately. She adds that Fawziyah planned to leave after returning from Edinburgh, not realizing the danger she faced.

During their marriage, Anwar’s behavior intensified: he isolated Fawziyah, restricted her social contacts, and again assaulted her in ways she reported to police, including an incident in which he dragged her into a car. She sought help on multiple occasions, including while pregnant, when hospitalisation for an infection occurred and witnesses testified to confrontations in medical settings. In one instance, she told investigators she feared her husband’s treatment of her would worsen if she stayed. Yet the police did not convey the full severity of her risk level at the time of the abuse.

The night of her death unfolded during a getaway meant to mark a hoped-for new start. After a heated exchange, witnesses described hearing loud arguments from the couple’s hotel room, and Fawziyah’s final corroborated statement to those nearby and to police identified Anwar as the man who pushed her. He did not call emergency services; instead, he phoned his father in a one-minute call as bystanders looked on and walkers nearby tried to aid the severely injured woman.

The case proceeded to trial after pandemic-related delays, and in April 2023 Anwar was found guilty of murder. A judge described the crime as wicked and ordered a minimum 20-year term. The Javeds say the sentence provides a sense of accountability, but they emphasize that no punishment can restore their missing child or their future grandchild.

The death of Fawziyah — and the unborn child she carried — has intensified national attention on honour-based abuse and domestic violence. The government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls and to redefine honour-based abuse in law, accompanied by new guidelines to help police and social workers better identify and support victims. A Domestic Homicide Review led by the Safer Leeds partnership is examining how agencies responded to prior abuse reports and whether opportunities to intervene were missed. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating complaints filed by the Javeds about West Yorkshire Police’s handling of their daughter’s abuse reports, and police have acknowledged the review as an ongoing process.

Yasmin Javed says the loss has been a life sentence without parole. She remains focused on ensuring that reforms reach people who face similar violence and on honoring her daughter’s memory by raising awareness of what she calls the hidden epidemic of honour-based violence. “If this could happen to her, it could happen to anyone,” Yasmin says. “Two lives have been lost. It’s a double murder.”

Official statistics show 2,755 honour-based abuse offences were recorded by police in England and Wales in the year ending 2024, though authorities caution that the true figure is likely higher because many cases go unreported. The Javeds hope that reforms will prevent further tragedies and provide real protections for victims who fear they will be silenced by coercive control.