Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Domestic Abuse: Prosecution Rates

Wednesday 1 February 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Elliot Colburn asked about steps to increase domestic abuse prosecution rates.
  • The Attorney General responded with new provisions to extend the reporting window for domestic abuse offences.
  • Close collaboration between prosecutors and the police is expected to increase prosecution rates.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Elliot Colburn
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

No specific background provided.

Question

What steps she is taking to help increase the rate of prosecutions for domestic abuse.

Answer from Victoria Prentis

We are committed to increasing the volume of prosecutions and supporting more victims. We enacted new provisions to increase the time that victims have to report domestic abuse offences to ensure that we bring more offenders to justice.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific steps or timeline for increasing prosecutions were provided, only a general commitment was made.

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Q2 Elliot Colburn
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

Carshalton and Wallington has higher rates of domestic violence than the London average, despite being a relatively safe part of London. Local charities such as Sutton Women's Centre are working to train people to spot signs of domestic abuse.

Question

Despite Carshalton and Wallington being a relatively safe part of London, domestic violence rates there are higher than the London average. Local charities such as Sutton Women's Centre do a great job in training people to spot the signs, but what assurance can the Attorney General give me that CPS staff have access to that same training to bring that level of crime down?

Answer from Victoria Prentis

I thank Sutton Women's Centre for its fantastic work in training the community to spot the signs of domestic abuse. All prosecutors in London are now domestic abuse trained. Close working with the police should continue to increase the rate of prosecutions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The assurance requested about CPS staff training was not directly addressed; only a general statement about all prosecutors being trained was provided.

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