Violence against Women and Girls 2025-03-31
2025-03-31
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The Chichester-based charity My Sisters’ House has noted an issue of cross-allegations, where abusers falsely accuse their victims to maintain control.
My Sisters’ House raised the ongoing issue of cross-allegations, whereby abusers are falsely accusing their victims as a means of keeping the control and emotional abuse going. What steps is the Home Secretary taking with the Justice Secretary to ensure that the system properly recognises this form of continued abuse and protects victims from being retraumatised?
The hon. Member raises an important issue about how coercive control can manifest and how abusers can continue their abuse in different ways, including using the civil courts. Part of the reason for introducing the national centre for public protection is to have the best possible national standards and training properly for the first time across policing and then working across the criminal justice system, in order to keep victims safe.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific steps being taken with the Justice Secretary.
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
At the annual police awards, Jayne Ward received an unsung hero award for supporting rape victims in court.
The hon. Member highlighted the work of Jayne Ward, a sexual assault adviser who supports 150 rape victims and helped secure a conviction against a rapist sentenced to 12 years. Does the Home Secretary agree that we owe a great debt of thanks to Jayne and to the police officers helping to secure such convictions?
I pay tribute to Jayne Ward for the remarkable work that she is doing to support victims of the most appalling and vile crimes, helping them to get justice and helping them as they go through the criminal justice system. I also pay tribute to the police officers working night and day across the country to tackle sexual assault and abuse.
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Assessment & feedback
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Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The government has set an ambitious goal to halve the prevalence of violence against women and girls.
The ambition to halve the prevalence of violence against women and girls is a laudable one, but could the Home Secretary give the House some more information? What number is she taking as a starting point to be halved? When will she be able to provide more information to the House and to my Select Committee?
I thank the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee for her questions. We are currently drawing up a strategy on violence against women and girls, which will be published before the summer recess and will set out the approach that we need to take and the need to reduce domestic abuse, sexual assaults and stalking—the crimes that are most prevalent and of which women are most likely to be the victims, but which we also need to reduce more broadly. We will set out details on the measures that we will be looking for as part of that strategy.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific baseline figures or timeline.
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The Sullivan review highlighted the need for accurate sex-aggregated data in policing and criminal justice.
The accurate collection of sex-aggregated data by police forces is essential to addressing male violence against women and girls. What plans does my right hon. Friend have in place for her Department to implement the recently published Sullivan review?
I can tell my hon. Friend that we take the Sullivan review extremely seriously. It is important to recognise the difference between biological sex and gender and to make sure that policing and the criminal justice system always have the accurate data that they need.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific implementation plans.
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
Women are being radicalised into extreme misogyny through platforms used by online influencers such as Andrew Tate.
Women and girls will never truly be safe while terrifying online influencers such as Andrew Tate are allowed platforms that radicalise men and boys into extreme misogyny. What steps is the Secretary of State taking with Cabinet colleagues to support police in tackling violence against women and girls?
Measures in the Online Safety Act 2023 are being implemented over the course of this year. That includes the introduction this summer of measures expected to ensure that stronger action is taken to prevent young boys and children more widely from seeing inappropriate material, which can be very damaging and very extreme. We also need to work in schools to prevent abuse in relationships.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific steps with Cabinet colleagues.
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
Rape victims under the previous government faced difficulties in securing justice.
Rape victims were failed under the previous Government, and too few actually got to see the inside of a courtroom. Among those victims were the victims of Andrew Tate here in the UK, who suffered rape and other violence against them. While I know that the Home Secretary cannot comment on the current extradition notice with Romania, what message can she send to those victims, whom I have met and who will be meeting a Minister as well, about their day in court and getting justice?
My hon. Friend will know that there is a court case under way in Romania and that issues around prosecution and extradition decisions are matters for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. I know that she has worked with victims, including in her constituency, and it is hugely important that victims of appalling crimes have a route to justice, wherever they are in the world.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific message to victims.
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
In multiple towns, little girls are being groomed and sexually tortured by gangs, with no one convicted for covering up these crimes.
In at least 50 of our towns, gangs of men have groomed and then sexually tortured little girls, with astonishing depravity. Still, not one person has been convicted for covering up these institutionalised rapes. Local inquiries cannot summon witnesses, are being refused by local authorities, and cannot address national policies like deportation. Fundamentally, the Government’s plan will not cover even one in 10 of these towns. Will the Home Secretary explain how she will choose which towns get a local inquiry and what she will say to the victims whose towns will not be included?
The shadow Minister will know that we have asked the police to reopen cases and historical investigations, because it is crucial that where there is abuse, including historical exploitation and grooming gangs, prosecutions take place and perpetrators face justice for their vile crimes. We are supporting local inquiries and the review by Louise Casey into the scale and nature of exploitation across the country.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific selection criteria or acknowledgment of limitations.
Response accuracy