July 22nd 2024.
According to a new police report published by the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing, violence against women and girls has reached alarming levels and is now considered a national emergency. In the period between 2022 and 2023, there were over one million recorded violent crimes against women and girls in England and Wales, accounting for nearly 20% of all police-recorded crime, excluding fraud. This is a significant 37% increase since 2018/19.
The report, commissioned for England and Wales, found that at least one in every 12 women will be a victim of violence each year. This translates to about two million women annually, although the actual number could be higher due to unreported crimes. Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth emphasized the need for a National Centre for Public Protection to support police forces in tackling this issue. She believes that a centralized hub with specialized skills and capabilities would greatly improve the response to violence against women and girls.
There have been calls for more training for police officers, but Blyth stresses that this is just one aspect of a larger problem. The current criminal justice system is overwhelmed and underperforming, making it difficult for victims to seek justice. Blyth states, "Violence against women and girls is a national emergency. We need the support and direction of the government to intervene and address the issues within the criminal justice system and lead the way towards a comprehensive approach to tackling this problem."
She also emphasizes that law enforcement alone cannot solve this issue. In February 2023, the Home Office classified violence against women and girls as a national threat to public safety. Since then, the police response has been aligned with that of counter-terrorism. This has resulted in over 4,500 new officers being trained to investigate rape and serious sexual offenses in the past year alone. As a result, there has been a 38% increase in charges for adult rape from December 2022 to December 2023.
The report's findings have been described as alarming, and for good reason. It is estimated that one in 20 adults are perpetrators of violence against women and girls each year. Additionally, between 2013 and 2022, there has been a staggering 435% increase in child sexual abuse and exploitation offenses, from just over 20,000 to nearly 107,000. Blyth explains that police forces are dealing with increasingly complex types of offenses that cause significant harm to victims and society as a whole.
In fact, one in every six murders in 2022/23 was related to domestic abuse, and arrests for domestic abuse-related offenses rose by over 22% in the year leading up to March 2023. Sophie Francis-Cansfield, head of external affairs at Women's Aid, agrees that the report's findings are alarming. She also emphasizes the need for a whole-system approach to tackling this issue and ensuring that the most marginalized are at the center of it. This includes collaboration between the criminal justice system, the government, and experts, as well as enhanced training and education for those working in statutory services like the police.
Without meaningful collaboration and action, women and children will continue to be failed when seeking protection and justice for the abuse they have endured. It is clear that addressing violence against women and girls requires a coordinated effort from all parties involved. The report serves as a wake-up call and highlights the urgency of taking action to combat this national emergency.
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