A small proportion of offenders are commonly responsible for a disproportionate amount of overall violence against women and girls (VAWG) harm, says a first national threat assessment of crimes, published by the police. A ‘4 Ps’ approach is proposed – ‘prevent violence against women and girls’, ‘pursue perpetrators’, ‘prepare policing’ and ‘protecting those at risk.’
VAWG is now prioritised as a national threat in the Strategic Policing Requirement updated in February (whereas the number one volume crime, fraud, is not) and is widely regarded, police admit, as an “epidemic”.
The 21-page document admits to considerable underreporting of VAWG crimes (which include domestic violence, stalking, and rape). The document states: “The Crime Survey for England and Wales consistently outlines high volumes of women and girls who experience VAWG, such as sexual assault and stalking and harassment but do not report to police. Barriers to reporting are particularly pertinent in relation to minoritised communities.”
The document admits that ‘national policing data only provides partial insight into the VAWG threat picture’. Any understanding of the threat against ‘minoritised communities’ is ‘challenging’, the document adds. It also points to ‘victim attrition’, stating that ‘many VAWG investigations are complex and may not conclude within a six-month period. The most prevalent recorded reason for cases being closed was evidential difficulties and victims not supporting’. Also admitted is that ‘policing is unable to keep pace with the volume of digital evidence from devices’, resulting in a backlog. The prospect is only of a lack of capacity getting worse, the document suggests, given the focus on VAWG.
Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth is national policing coordinator for violence against women and girls, and author of a foreword to the document. She said: “The epidemic of VAWG that we are facing meant that it was imperative we took the time to analyse the greatest threats to women and girls. All police chiefs have been given a copy of the STRA to help them make decisions in their own force areas about the best way to protect their communities. It allows chiefs to look ahead at future risks in terms of their ability to strategically plan and respond to VAWG.
“To have the right officers, trained to the right standards, and available at the right time, we are developing plans with the College of Policing. This will support forces in ensuring that more officers are trained in public protection. There is an agreement that these crucial roles, which are often the most challenging and under-resourced, need to be accredited and properly equipped. Professionalising public protection will give officers the skills they need to do the job, understand the nuances of VAWG, and will attract a range of new people into policing. Police forces will then be better equipped to stop these terrible crimes.
“A national operating model for policing to tackle rape and serious sexual offences is being published next month as a result of the focused and rigorous work of Operation Soteria Bluestone. The findings showed that policing needs a capable, confident and reflective workforce, equipped with evidence-informed knowledge about the impact of rape and sexual offences on victims.
“The Government has recently announced the formation of a new taskforce to help enhance action against offenders of child sexual abuse and exploitation to protect children, including mandatory reporting for those who work with children and suspect abuse.
“Later in the year, in partnership with the CPS, we are publishing our joint justice plan to improve the criminal justice response to domestic abuse. The STRA clearly tells us that domestic abuse is an area of significant and increasing threat to women, so it is vital we act on that insight and ensure we are approaching the threat in a coordinated way.”
Comment
At the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) Joint Victims’ Leads Donna Jones and Sophie Linden welcomed the publication. They said: “The assessment will enable police and partners to understand the key risks and harms and better protect women and girls in our communities. The four significant threats identified do not come as a surprise, however, the evidence base that this assessment has created will support policing to develop critical responses.
“Police and Crime Commissioners are forging ahead in bringing partners together to tackle VAWG locally and nationally and we will continue to hold forces to account for their response and ensure officers are equipped and trained to identify and robustly tackle these crimes.
“VAWG is now a requirement under the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR). We would like to see more parity with funding and prioritisation across government with the other requirements in the SPR. Only collectively can we end this epidemic and make our communities a safer place for all women and girls.”
