Violence against Women and Girls 2025-01-28
2025-01-28
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner found that just 5% of reported domestic abuse results in a conviction, raising concerns about the effectiveness of investigations into non-crime hate incidents.
Last week, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner found that just 5% of reported domestic abuse results in a conviction. Does the Minister share my concerns that lengthy investigations into non-crime hate incidents are potentially diverting vital resources from the criminal justice system and from prosecuting actual violence against women and girls?
The hon. Member is right to remark on the low charging and conviction rates for domestic abuse. We have an ambition to drive those up. That is why we are putting more funding and more prioritisation into this area and calling on our agencies, whether it is the police or the Crown Prosecution Service, to really focus on it, because right now we are not doing enough for women and girls.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific measures or timeline for increasing charging and conviction rates
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The presumption of parental contact during family court proceedings for women suffering domestic abuse raises concerns about prolonging abuse.
The tragic reality for many women who suffer domestic abuse and then have to go through family court proceedings on top of it is that the presumption of parental contact provides another opportunity for perpetrators of domestic abuse to prolong it. The Government are rightly reviewing this. Will Ministers ensure that we make the most of this opportunity to better protect women who suffer domestic abuse through the family court system?
My hon. Friend is right to make that point. Our family courts should never become sites of retraumatisation for victims of domestic abuse. We are reviewing the presumption, and when we are ready, we will publish the findings and our policy response to that review.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not specify timeline or concrete measures in the review process
Response accuracy