Advance CEO, Niki Scordi said:
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam on her way to school.
Too many girls and women are losing their lives at the hands of men; they are not safe on the streets, in school or in their own homes. One woman is killed every three days by a man, and many more end their own lives because of abuse and trauma. Young women and girls are disproportionately affected, with those under 19 at the highest risk of being victims in their own intimate relationship (Crime Survey ONS). Advance’s research found that 91% of young women and girls say their past relationships have impacted their mental health, with controlling and unhealthy relationships cited in many cases.
We are failing young women by not acting earlier to tackle the root causes of male violence. We need a coordinated response from the whole community and a seismic change in attitudes towards violence against women and girls by society as a whole, the criminal justice system and government.
Government and Local Authorities need to go beyond their current commitments to tackle violence against women and girls. The Victims and Prisoners Bill must not be a missed opportunity; the government must ensure it includes a statutory duty for every victim of domestic abuse and other forms of gender-based violence to be supported by a specialist service in their community.”
For all press enquiries, please contact:
E: press@advancecharity.org.uk
T: 020 39533111
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.
- 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
