Violence towards girls and ladies is a ‘nationwide emergency’

Violence against women and girls is a ‘national emergency’ with almost 3,000 crimes recorded every day, a leading police chief warned in a new report.

Police recorded more than a million crimes against women and girls in 2022/23 – accounting for almost a fifth of all offences excluding fraud.

Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) has reached ‘epidemic’ levels, with at least one in twelve females becoming a victim each year, the deputy chief executive of the College of Policing said.

Deputy chief constable Maggie Blyth also warned that online influencers like Andrew Tate could radicalise young men into extreme misogyny in the same way terrorists draw in followers.

Police records of VAWG incidents have increased by 37 per cent in just five years, the report from the National Police Chiefs’ Council found.

And child sexual abuse and exploitation offences have soared by 435 per cent between 2013 and 22, the report estimated – from just over 20,000 to nearly 107,000.

One in 20 adults or 2.3 million people in England and Wales are perpetrators of such violence every year, the report estimated, with the actual number thought to be significantly higher.

The age of offenders is also getting younger, with the average age of a suspect for child sexual abuse and exploitation now 15.

DCC Blyth said some of this was linked to the radicalisation of young people online.

‘We know the influencers, Andrew Tate, the element of influencing of particularly boys, is quite terrifying and that’s something that both the leads for counterterrorism in the country and ourselves from a VAWG perspective are discussing,’ she added.

Violence against women and girls was classed as a national threat to public safety by the Home Office in February 2023 and DCC Blyth said a national framework had brought the police response in line with that of counter-terrorism.

More than 4,500 new officers have been trained to investigate rape and serious sexual offences over the last year, with the report detailing a 38 per cent increase in charges for adult rape from the year ending December 2022 to the year ending December 2023.

DCC Blyth said society could ‘no longer accept violence against women and girls as inevitable’.

‘Violence against women and girls is a national emergency,’ she added.

‘We need the support and direction of government to intervene and address the current problems within the criminal justice system and lead the way on a whole-system approach to violence against women and girls.’ 

Associate head of policy at the NSPCC, Clare Kelly, said the scale of offending against girls was ‘frightening’ and required a society-wide response.

She called on the Government to set out child abuse prevention plans and ensure victims had a legal right to support services, and urged tech companies to stop boys being targeted with misogynistic content.

‘Schools also need support to deliver effective relationships and sex education that is high-quality, inclusive and relevant to the realities of children’s lives, to embed a culture where girls are safe, heard and empowered and healthy relationships thrive,’ Ms Kelly added.

Director at the End Violence Against Women coalition, Andrea Simon, said the NPCC report must not simply be another piece of paper that failed to result in change.

‘Today’s plans signal intent, but we are a long way from seeing change filter down to the culture and practices of police forces, or deliver more joined up working,’ she added.

‘We don’t want to see another piece of paper that doesn’t deliver tangible change – women’s lives lie in the balance.’