We are pleased to see the Government reaffirm in the King’s Speech their pledge to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG). We look forward to seeing action being taken in order to achieve this, and hope that the new Government will enlist the help and insight of specialist domestic abuse services as part of it’s strategy.
Labour’s manifesto included a commitment to better policing, with higher professional standards and vetting. Our work with survivors of domestic abuse continually highlights the poor experience of many women when it comes to reporting abuse and pursuing justice, and so we welcome this promise and look forward to Labour putting it into action through the new Crime and Policing Bill.
Alongside this, the Government should reaffirm their commitment to reducing the delays in criminal court systems, and fast-tracking of rape and sexual violence cases. We also hope to see Labour follow through in their promise to specialist sexual offences teams and domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms. Our experience shows that delays in the Family Court system, alongside lack of awareness of the complexities of domestic abuse amongst court professionals, often leads to ‘re-traumatising’ experiences for women navigating the family courts. This must also be addressed, alongside improvements to criminal courts.
Another key area of action must be online spaces, and we hope to see the Government take steps to address online misogyny that encourages abusive behaviour towards women and girls.
Finally, it’s crucial that all pledges and commitments when it comes to addressing VAWG are properly funded, without taking funding away from existing services and initiatives. The postcode lottery of domestic abuse service provision must end, with specialist ‘by and for’ services given sustainable funding in order to meet the needs of survivors, regardless of background or personal circumstance.
At Restored, we remain committed to our 5 priorities for a new government: protection of specialist services; a focus on prevention; improvements to healthcare and mental health support; improvements to the Family Court system; and better intervention and accountability for perpetrators.
The Church Guide to addressing domestic abuse
We’ve created the Church Guide to increase understanding of domestic abuse and offer clear, practical advice for responding to disclosures and supporting survivors.