The Home Office has outlined an eight-point plan to protect women and girls from harassment, aggression and violence.
The measures, outlined in a press release today, include:
- Changes to the way high-risk, high-harm offenders are managed
- The piloting of new Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Orders in 3 areas
- An extension of the Ask for Ani scheme in job centres and benefit offices
- The addition of violence against women and girls to the Strategic Policing Requirement
- The creation of a new digital tool which will use police data to identify individuals who are high risk and likely to commit domestic abuse offences
- Strengthening Clare’s law by reducing the timelines for police to disclose information about an individual’s violent or abusive behaviour, making it quicker to access information about a partner or ex-partner’s previous abusive or violent offending
- Up to £8.4 million to fund specialist victim support programmes
- £36 million to be distributed via PCCs for perpetrator interventions
Caroline Bernard, Head of Influence at Respect, said,
“Respect welcomes these additional measures to respond to perpetrators of violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse. They echo our calls to address the root cause, as well as the consequences of violence and abuse.
“In particular, we are pleased to see that violence against women and girls will be added to the Strategic Policing Requirement. This must be implemented effectively and resourced appropriately if it is to have a major impact on the policing response to perpetrators of VAWG.
“We look forward to working with government to ensure that these additional measures are delivered successfully alongside the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, so that survivors of domestic abuse can be safe and free from harm.”