We work with fine police officers when supporting women affected by domestic abuse, VAWG, and the criminal justice system. However, the Met continues to be an environment where far too many officers whose behaviour and attitudes are dangerous feel emboldened.
The Met – and other police forces across the country – clearly still has a serious problem in how it treats women, Black, minoritised and migrant people and other vulnerable groups. We will never reduce violence against women and girls while decision-making power rests with those who dismiss or downplay women’s experiences. Three women a week are still killed by men, many after seeking help from the very institutions meant to protect them.
The Panorama footage made clear that women entering custody after an arrest, or as a victim of a crime, face a postcode lottery as to whether they receive safety, dignity and justice.
We are committed to improving the criminal justice system for women, from the moment they encounter it. This includes ensuring police fully understand the dynamics of domestic abuse and other forms of VAWG, particularly where these intersect with women’s offending. It also means improving the initial police response to domestic abuse. This work must continue, and we hope to see it reflected in the upcoming VAWG strategy, the Duty to Collaborate, and in government efforts to reduce the number of women in the justice system.
To achieve this, we are calling for government commitment to:
- A roll out of Criminal Justice IDVAS embedded within every police station.
- The establishment of a national framework of Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts (SDAC).
- Increase Diversion services and out-of-court disposals for women across all police forces.
We welcome Sir Mark Rowley’s pledge to continue with ‘what is the biggest corruption clear-out in British policing history’ and we are ready to work with the Met, and others to create a system that truly works for women and girls.
Media enquiries
For more information, please contact Tracie Couper, Press Officer at Advance, at tracie.c@advancecharity.org.uk or on 0743 2700 287.
About Advance
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- Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, just and equal 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
