“The women we support are frequently let down by the criminal justice system, and this is mirrored in our wider society. Reports of domestic abuse-related crimes have increased markedly, and yet the system has not responded to address this, with only 5% of reports leading to prosecution in 2023. We know most women won’t report their abuse to police; however, those that do tell us that they feel let down, they are left feeling uninformed and even more unsafe. We need see a change across all police forces in how they communicate with victim/survivors and how they respond to breaches of protective orders.
While there have been some positive steps forward which have focussed on rape and sexual assault there is still much more work to be done. The focus on perpetrators of rape and sexual assault must be applied to all types of VAWG, knowing that different types of violence and abuse rarely happen in isolation.
We are particularly concerned that the age of perpetrators is getting younger, fuelled by misogynistic content creators and a lack of a joined-up approach to tackling the issue. There must be proper prevention and early intervention, including education for young people which challenges misogyny and encourages healthy relationships, as well as specialist support services and safe spaces for young women and girls.
We echo the need for a whole systems approach to tackling violence against women and girls, but this must be embedded at a whole systems level. It also requires a considerable shift in our societal and institutional attitudes to misogyny and sexism which has allowed perpetrators of domestic abuse and other types of violence against women and girls to act with impunity.
It’s vital to remember that policing is only one part of the puzzle. Police and the criminal justice system must work collaboratively with one another, with other statutory services and with specialist services to get the response to domestic abuse right. One important part of this is nationwide implementation of expert independent advocates in police stations, alongside specialist courts for domestic abuse cases.”
Our latest report, “Her Story, Her Justice”, demonstrates how Advance’s Whole Justice Approach can drastically improve outcomes for victims and hold perpetrators to account.
Read the National Policing Statement 2024 on VAWG
Media enquiries
For more information, please contact Tracie Couper, Press Officer at Advance, at tracie.c@advancecharity.org.uk or on 0743 2700 287.
- Advance’s specialist advocates work in partnership with 11 local and national women’s service providers, alongside statutory services to provide services within women’s communities across the 6 regions of Hampshire, Kent, Thames Valley, Essex, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire.
- Through our woman-centred approach, we aim to prevent the cycle of re-offending, tackling issues such as lack of consistent housing and homelessness, domestic abuse and sexual violence, mental health, emotional well-being, parenting and family relationships, education training and employment, finance, benefits, and debt.
- 53% of women in prison report having experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse as a child compared to 22% of men.
- 72% of women who entered prison in 2020 have committed a non-violent offence.
- 57% of women in prison and under community supervision report being victims of domestic abuse. The true figure is likely higher, as many women fear disclosing abuse.
- 50% of women, compared to 22% of men, have reported that they offended to support someone else’s drug use.
- Read Advance’s latest report, ‘Her Story, Her Justice’.
About Advance
- Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, equal, violence-free lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society. The charity works with women who experience domestic abuse to be safe and take control of their lives, and women who have committed crime or are at risk of offending to break the cycle.
- As well as providing direct support, Advance works with statutory services, government agencies and other women’s charities to ensure a holistic approach to the issues these women face.
- Women must be referred to Advance, via statutory services or the charity’s self-referral scheme. For more information about who Advance is able to support, please visit Get help
- For facts and statistics about domestic abuse and women in the criminal justice system, as well as Advance’s work, please visit Our impact