Key Facts

• The Victims and Prisoners Bill is being discussed in a Public Bill Committee.
• Scheduled meetings are set from June 20 to July 13, with specific dates and times outlined.
• Witnesses include Nicole Jacobs (Domestic Abuse Commissioner), Children’s Commissioner for England, Refuge, and others as part of oral evidence sessions.
• The mapping report produced by Jacobs' office shows that over half of victims were unable to find the services they needed.
• 70% of domestic abuse victims go to community-based services rather than accommodation-based ones.
• Services for children have higher rates of unavailability compared to other categories.
• Charities often rely on around 34 different funding streams, which are not consistent or sustainable.
• Jacobs notes that in central London, 4,000 victims were referred to the service in one year.
• The most successful teams include various roles beyond just IDVAs/ISVAs.
• Jacobs expresses concern about the impact of last-minute changes to the Victims Bill regarding parole reforms.
• Jayne Butler is the CEO of Rape Crisis England and Wales.
• Dr Hannana Siddiqui is the head of policy, campaigns and research at Southall Black Sisters.
• Ellen Miller is the interim CEO of SafeLives.
• There are historic low rates of rape prosecutions.
• The Bill fails to provide protection for counselling notes when victims come to court.
• ISVA roles have been highly regarded but lack impact on the ground due to insufficient support from the Bill.
• A successful pilot of independent legal advice model exists in Northumbria.
• There is no funding attached to the duty to collaborate among specific authorities for victim support services.
• Migrant victims of domestic abuse are not included in the current Bill.
• Migrant victims fear approaching police due to risk of criminalisation or deportation.
• A firewall is needed to prevent immigration enforcement from being informed when migrant victims come forward.
• The no recourse to public funds requirement needs to be lifted for victims of domestic abuse.
• The current ISVA and IDVA definitions are criminal justice-focused.
• Imkaan estimates that £97 million is needed just for the 'by and for' sector in black and minority communities.
• Dr Siddiqui suggests a range of holistic services including support, outreach, helpline advice, and advocates.
• The Domestic Abuse Commissioner's map highlights historically low support for black and minority victims.
• Dr Siddiqui suggests an advocate system to help navigate the criminal justice process.
• Jayne Butler mentions that court cases are often postponed with little notice.
• The waiting list for therapy across services in England and Wales is about 12,000 people.
• In two years, about 2,500 people facing serious crimes were reported to the Home Office.
• One quarter saw approximately 130 women victims of domestic abuse served with an enforcement order.
• A firewall concept is proposed to increase trust among migrant victims by preventing data sharing between police and immigration enforcement.
• Rachel de Souza is the Children’s Commissioner for England.
• The duty to collaborate should include child victims of crime, according to the commissioner.
• Part 3 of the Victims and Prisoners Bill includes victims and prisoners but may detract from the main elements focused on children's unique experiences as victims.
• The victims code was published recently.
• There is a need for clear definition of children in the victims code.
• Children often delay coming forward and require complex support.
• The Lighthouse model focuses on individual child advocates.
• Definition changes to protect criminally exploited children are needed.
• Multi-agency collaboration is crucial for supporting child victims.
• The Bill does not cover all definitions of victims, especially those affected by serious antisocial behaviour.
• It took about two years for the Government to consult on the victims' code.
• The Victims’ Commissioner's third duty is to keep the victims' code under review and requires data access.
• The victims code, established in 2006, has been largely ignored by those who have gone through the criminal justice system.
• Only 20% of victims who went through the entire criminal justice system were aware of the victims code according to Office for National Statistics data from 2021.
• Part 3 of the Bill focuses on Parole Board measures with significant funding, but Waxman argues it does not meet families' needs and could cause further distress.
• The Government has brought forward measures but these are already in place.
• Conviction rates dropped catastrophically around 2016 when questioning the credibility of rape complainants emerged.
• Independent legal advice is needed to negotiate the request for material and represent victims at court hearings.
• The session is part of a Public Bill Committee discussing the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
• Julie Elliott is closing the discussion with only 15 seconds left in the allocated time.
• The Chair adjourned the Committee with Question put under Standing Order No. 88.
• The Committee is due to reconvene on the same day at Two o’clock.