Violence Against Women and Girls 2024-11-14
2024-11-14
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question addresses prosecution rates for cases involving violence against women and girls, pointing out the need for concrete steps to improve outcomes.
What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for cases in relation to violence against women and girls. Prosecutions and convictions have plummeted over eight years under the previous Government, with a dramatic increase in case processing time.
This Government are committed to halving violence against women and girls in the next decade. We are not only fixing the foundations of our economy, but rebuilding trust in our criminal justice system, with an additional £49 million in the Budget for the Crown Prosecution Service. This will mean additional specialists in rape and serious sexual offences, boosting investigators to tackle those awful offences.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific measures to expedite prosecutions were not addressed directly
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The question highlights a significant number of domestic abuse victims in Sandwell and the need for faster justice delivery to break cycles of abuse.
Last year, over 3,000 women in Sandwell were victims of domestic abuse. Getting cases through the justice system quicker is vital to breaking the cycle of abuse and protecting victims. Can the Minister set out further what the Government are doing to make sure the police and prosecutors work together to tackle domestic abuse?
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that very important point, and for the work she is doing in this area. For too long, victims of domestic abuse across the country have been let down, but this week, we have welcomed a new domestic abuse joint justice plan between police and prosecutors. That plan will see them working more closely together to support victims, in order to deliver swifter investigation and justice for all.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The question addresses a significant drop in prosecutions for domestic abuse cases and the increasing time taken to charge these cases, indicating an urgent need for reforms.
Prosecutions and convictions for domestic abuse plummeted over the last eight years under the previous Government. Additionally, the time taken to charge domestic abuse cases has increased dramatically. Given the alarming rise in delays, what measures is the Solicitor General implementing to expedite those processes and ensure timely justice for victims?
My hon. Friend raises a powerful point. He is right that between 2016-17 and 2023-24 the number of domestic abuse flagged cases received from the police by the CPS dropped by nearly 36%. We are beginning to see a rebound in those figures, but much more needs to be done. We need a whole-system approach to fix the system, and our domestic abuse joint justice plan will ensure that the CPS and police work more closely together to address those delays from the very outset of a case.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific measures to expedite processes were not detailed
Response accuracy
Q4
Direct Answer
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Context
The question comes from a constituent who experienced poor treatment in a rape case, highlighting the need for better communication and support.
I have been contacted by a constituent who had concerns about how they were treated in a rape case, and about the communication that came from the police and the CPS. What steps is the Solicitor General taking to ensure victims are properly informed all the way through?
I thank the hon. Member for his question, and I am sorry to hear about that specific case. I am of course happy to make contact directly with any local chief Crown prosecutors to address that case. More generally, victim transformation work is taking place across both police and CPS, such as investment in victim liaison officers to make sure that there is a single point of contact so that victims are supported right the way through the criminal justice process.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
The question acknowledges the importance of reducing violence against women and girls, asking for specifics on early intervention and prevention measures.
Violence against women and children is abhorrent and inexcusable. It crushes self-confidence and self-esteem in victims, wrecks families and ruins lives. As someone who was a family lawyer for 23 years before coming to this place, I welcome the Government's mission to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade. To achieve that important goal, what action are the Government taking on prevention and early intervention, and when will the specialist rape courts be introduced?
I welcome the shadow Solicitor General to her place. She brings enormous experience, not only in legal matters but specifically in relation to violence against women and girls, and I look forward to working constructively with her in this area. In answer to the hon. Lady's question, she is right that the commitment to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade is a cross-Government initiative. Prevention and early intervention are a core part of that; that is why when the VAWG mission board met earlier, there was a real focus on education—how we educate about consent and early intervention, so that we can prevent these cases from entering the criminal justice process.
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Assessment & feedback
Specifics of prevention actions were not detailed
Response accuracy