Reported violence against women and girls (VAWG) is increasing across the country. Nationally, last year, one in every eight women was a victim of domestic abuse, stalking or sexual assault.
Every day in England and Wales, two hundred rapes are reported to the police, and far too many go unreported.
Behind every one of these figures is a woman or girl whose life has been shattered.
The harm caused to victims and society by violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all its forms – including but not limited to harassment, stalking, rape, sexual assault, murder, honour-based abuse, coercive control – is immeasurable.
For too long, we have accepted statistics but forgotten the human victims who lie behind them. Bedfordshire is not exempt from these awful crimes, and women and girls in the county deserve better.
We must spend time and resources tackling the causes of these crimes. Prevention is and must always be the priority.
Enforcement of the law matters too, and perpetrators must face justice.
“Five per cent”
However, law enforcement alone cannot reduce the scale and impact of VAWG. It is estimated nationally that five per cent of people are perpetrators of VAWG, with the actual number likely to be significantly higher.
Most of them are male. Misogyny is too often a major contributing factor and must be addressed in every way possible, including confronting so-called influencers who promote and glorify this foul behaviour.
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Many of these perpetrators will have touchpoints with several agencies outside policing throughout their lives, creating opportunities for intervention.
This includes health, education, local authority, voluntary sector, and industry all working in tandem with the criminal justice system, sharing data and responsibilities to effect change.
In Bedfordshire, I am committed to tackling these issues through effective partnership and system change.
Whilst there must be a focus on prevention and enforcement, there is a need to ensure that victims of these heinous crimes are supported and protected. They must be listened to, supported and respected.
Whilst the police and local authorities provide such support and advice, voluntary and community organisations play a critical role.
They have the ability, the access, and the trust of victims in ways that are not always the case with statutory bodies.
As Police and Crime Commissioner, I work closely with many of these organisations across Bedfordshire. I grant aid and commission a range of services from them.
This includes more than £1.2 million of victim funding to support victims of VAWG offences through a range of services which provide practical, emotional, and therapeutic support for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence and their affected families.
I also fund specialist advocacy services for victims of sexual exploitation, FGM, forced marriage and honour-based abuse.
I specifically provide nearly £700,000 for Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) services and associated therapeutic provision to support victims with personal safety planning, advocacy, practical and emotional support as well as therapy, counselling and group support.
These services can improve victims’ wellbeing and help them to cope and recover from their experiences.
Much of the funding for these programmes comes from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), to whom I am grateful.
Support for victims of crime
This month, the MoJ has provided me with an additional £195,000 to support victims of crimes for which perpetrators are being released early from prison.
I will allocate this money to the existing network of victim support organisations from my own resources.
I also use some of my discretionary finance to fund victim support and advocacy.
I am pleased that we have funded programmes to address the needs of male offenders and a project to remove the offender, not the victim and her children, from houses where there is domestic abuse.
The importance and impact of these services should not be underestimated, which is why the Deputy PCC Umme Ali brought together over 100 specialist voluntary organisations earlier this year to share their experiences and build a network so they can best support women and girls together.
This successful event was part of our wider HerSpace programme.
This month, Umme is organising a second HerSpace event to help these voluntary organisations share their services with, and build relationships with, local authorities, the police, probation, and the NHS.
Umme and I will continue to press every agency in the county, including the police and local authorities, to improve their services to prevent VAWG crime, to protect and support women and girls, and to enforce the law.
However, we know that without the incredible voluntary and community groups across the county, we could not achieve our mission, and more importantly, women and children who are victims would not have the support that they need and deserve.
We owe them an extremely big “thank you”.
This is a monthly guest column provided by the
elected Police and Crime Commissioner, John Tizard (Labour).
It is published unedited and does
not reflect the views of the Bedford Independent.
