Key factors from UK’s largest clampdown on violence in opposition to girls and women in historical past
The Government has released its long-awaited strategy to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), with safeguarding minister Jess Phillips saying it represents a ‘culture change’
The Government’s long-awaited strategy to tackle violence against women and girls has finally been unveiled.
A raft of measures to tackle misogyny in schools, expand services for survivors and target perpetrators were released on Thursday afternoon. The Government has branded it the biggest clampdown on violence against women and girls (VAWG) in British history.
Labour came to power pledging to halve cases within a decade. Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said on Thursday: “This is a culture change.” Here we look at some of the key measures included in the strategy.
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Ms Phillips said: “Every day, 200 rapes are reported to the police and many go unreported. Behind every one of these figures is a woman or girl whose life has been shattered. “And behind every crime lies a perpetrator who all too often gets away scot free. For too long we have accepted the statistics as simply a fact of life. Today, this government says no more.”
Tackling misogyny in schools
A package of measures to tackle misogyny in schools is a central part of the strategy.
Keir Starmer said the £20million project will help deliver “a responsibility we owe the next generation”. Under the plans, teachers will be given specialist training on how to talk to children about issues including consent and the dangers of sharing intimate images. Schools will be selected for a pilot next year, and contracts will be awarded on a school-by-school basis.
Best practice will then be shared, with the Government vowing every child will have access to specialist support by 2029. A new helpline will be launched for young people concerned about their behaviours to get the help they need.
Outlawing deepfake apps
New laws will ban ‘nudification’ tools – sick software that uses AI to turn images of real people into fake nude pictures and videos without their permission.
Ministers have pledged to make it impossible for children in the UK to take, share or view a nude image using their phones. The government will join forces with tech companies in a step to protect young people from grooming, extortion, bullying, harassment and sexual abuse.
Roxy Longworth, founder of the campaign Behind our Screens, was coerced into sending intimate images, which were then shared without her consent. Roxy, who was 13 at the time, faced widespread humiliation, bullying, and a severe mental-health crisis.
She said: “If device controls like these had existed when I was 13, my life would have been completely different. I would not have been coerced, blackmailed, abused and I would have been saved the devastating humiliation and mental health crisis that followed.
“It’s so important that technology is used to protect young people, not harm them. I’m also relieved to see nudification apps being banned and that the Government is taking action to protect the next generation from new technological threats.”
Improved NHS support for survivors
NHS support for victims of domestic and sexual abuse will be ramped up as part of the biggest crackdown on violence against women in British history, the Government vowed.
Wes Streeting said up to £50million will be ploughed into specialist services for child sex abuse victims. The Health Secretary unveiled a raft of initiatives ahead of the long-awaited violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy, expected this week.
A dedicated referral service for women and girls affected by violence will be up and running in every area of England by 2029, he vowed. This will end a postcode lottery of support, the Government said.
There will also be training for GP surgery staff to spot signs of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Mr Streeting stated: “Victims and survivors of abuse need more than promises – they need change.
“No child should also face their darkest moment alone or be forced to relive their trauma repeatedly to multiple professionals. As a service that often has first eyes on abuse victims, the NHS plays a vital role in supporting and treating victims.
“These changes will put victims first, making sure they have specialist care and reliable support when they need it most.
Grooming to be aggravated factor
The Government has confirmed new legislation will make grooming a statutory aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences.
The strategy said this will apply to abusers involved in grooming gangs – but will not be limited to them. The document states: “We are unwavering in our determination to identify these horrific crimes, to punish perpetrators and to protect children from harm.”
Forensic breakthrough to tackle cold cases
Ms Phillips told the Commons that by 2029, every police force in England and Wales will have a specialist rape and sexual offenses team.
She said: “We will also ensure police forces use the same data driven approach to tracking offenders that we apply to terrorists and serious, organised criminals. New forensic technology will be used to track down rapists and sex offenders, allowing us to reopen court cases and bring offenders to justice many years after they thought they had got away with it.”
Use of cutting-edge technology to tackle abusers
Strenghtening orders on perpetrators
The strategy will see Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) rolled out to all police forces and courts across England and Wales.
DAPOs are branded a “game-changing new protective order” that can impose a combination of tougher prohibitions and requirements on perpetrators – both going throughthe criminal justice system and out in the community.
And Stalking Protection Orders(SPOs) will be strengthened – with their use to be driven up to enforce conditions and monitor breaches.
New laws to tackle child sexual abuse online
The strategy promises a new law to ensure that there are no “safe spaces” for vile criminals to commit online child sexual abuse.
This new criminal offence will target moderators and administrators who run sites dedicated to child sexual abuse – either sharing child sexual abuse material content or advice on how to commit sickening offences.
Laws will be strengthened to criminalise those who produce and share “paedophile manuals” to cover using AI to create child sexual abuse material.
‘Trauma informed’ court measures
The Government promises “bold reform” in the justice system to deal with long delays are trauma for survivors and victims.
This will include criminal courts and family courts, the strategy states. It says: “We will ensure that the family courts are no longer spaces where victims and survivors of VAWG can be revictimised.
“Through a programme of reform, we will reduce opportunities for perpetrators to misuse legal processes, strengthen protections for victims, survivors and children, and embed a trauma-informed approach across the system.
“These changes will help to shift the culture within the family courts, prioritising safety, accountability, and the welfare of the child above all else.”
Expanding Clare’s Law
Lifesaving laws allowing police to reveal details about domestic and sex abusers are set to be expanded.
Clare’s Law – passed in memory of murder victim Clare Wood – will be widened to include offences like stalking and sex assault. Clare, 36, was murdered by her ex, George Appleton, in 2009.
She was unaware that Appleton had a long history of violence against women, including a three year jail term for harassing another woman. The law passed in her name created a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), which means police can reveal whether someone’s new partner has an abusive or violent offending.
Under the proposed shake-up, police will be able to inform victims and would-be victims of other forms of violence against women or girls (VAWG) their partner has previously been convicted of.
Ms Mahmood told The Mirror the move will give women more “power and control” over their safety. The Home Secretary said: “This will be part of my plans to deploy the full power of the state to introduce the largest crackdown on violence perpetrated against women and girls in British history.
“With all of Government and all of society committed to this cause, we can turn people away from committing these awful crimes; bear down on abusers and stop them in their tracks and support victims so they get the justice they deserve.”
Banning strangulation and suffocation in pornography
The strategy sets out plans to ban strangulation and suffocation in pornography – saying alarming research shows it is being mimicked in real life.
The document says: “We knowthat watching pornography can shape sexual scripts. In particular, the normalisation of strangulation or ‘choking’ in pornography is now being mimicked at an alarming rate in real sexual encounters with potentially life-threatening consequences without an understanding of the risks of harm.”
It continues: “This is why this Government will ban strangulation and suffocation in pornography.”
