LONDON — Domestic abusers are coming under stricter scrutiny under a crackdown unveiled by Rishi Sunak on Monday.
The UK Prime Minister is kicking off the week with a set of planned reforms aimed at reducing ‘appalling’ crime, including new obligations for a host of public bodies to track and deal with convicts.
The government promises that those sentenced to a year or more in prison or a suspended sentence for “controlling or coercive behaviour” will now be put on an equal footing with offenders convicted of physical violence. This means that they will be actively ‘managed’ by the police, prison and probation services, which will have a legal obligation to work together.
Meanwhile, a new small-scale trial program of “Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Orders” is being implemented in parts of Wales, Manchester and London, placing new demands on authors, including the potential electronic tagging and the obligation to inform the police of name and address changes. Violations will be treated as a new criminal offence.
The UK government is also promising to boost a nationwide scheme known as ‘Ask for ANI’, which is already seeing pharmacy staff across the country trained to discreetly help victims who approach shop counters and give the word “ANI” password. The program will now be piloted in 18 social security offices across the UK
Interior Minister Suella Braverman is also ordering police forces to treat violence against women and girls as a “national threat” for the first time.
In comments posted overnight by No 10, Sunak said: ‘No woman or girl should ever have to feel unsafe in their home or community and I am determined to stamp out these appalling crimes.’
Last year, Sunak’s government unveiled £257million in new funding over two years to help local councils provide safe havens and shelters for people fleeing domestic abuse.
But campaign group Women’s Aid warned that more than £800million would be needed to “sustainably fund all specialist domestic abuse services in England”, and said some services were struggling to stay on track. flood in the face of soaring energy costs.
Politico
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