Code words for victims of abuse to alert others

Lockdown requires us to intensify our efforts to tackle horrific crimes such as child exploitation

Victims of domestic violence are to get a code word they can discreetly give to staff at pharmacies and supermarkets to help them contact police or refuges. Writing in today’s Daily Telegraph,

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, says she hopes it will “save many lives”. It follows a 30 per cent rise in calls to the national domestic abuse hotline but no parallel increase in police referrals, suggesting women may be trapped at home with their abuser and unable to get any help.

It has been over eight weeks since the entire nation radically changed its way of life to fight coronavirus. Because of that sacrifice, many people in England are now enjoying the careful relaxation of some of the lockdown measures. But the danger is not yet over, and as some restrictions rightly remain, so too does our duty to protect those most at risk. Not just from this disease, but from the horror of violence and abuse behind closed doors. Those who may feel locked in their own private hell, at the mercy of so-called loved ones. Victims that this Government has not forgotten – and will never leave exposed and alone.

That’s why the Prime Minister is today hosting a Hidden Harms Summit to shine a light on crimes such as domestic abuse, child sexual abuse and modern slavery – almost unthinkable offences that typically exist in the shadows and can leave victims feeling isolated, shamed and helpless. We know there is no single solution to prevent these crimes, so when it comes to tackling them our ambition must be limitless. We need a mixture of agile law enforcement, technology, the support of charities, and a community who can be our eyes and ears in identifying those who might be at risk.

Since this pandemic took hold, we have pledged unprecedented support for charities working with the most vulnerable, including victims of domestic abuse – helping to increase refuge spaces and to bolster helplines. But we must continue to go further, to harness expertise in the public and private sector, and to work together as a society to expose hidden crimes wherever we find them.

During the pandemic I have been in constant contact with law enforcement and I have heard of great examples of proactive policing in tackling domestic abuse, such as Kent Police’s campaign to encourage people to report incidents during lockdown. But to protect even more victims we must think big, so I am today asking our police to step up their efforts to bring even more of these vile offenders to justice.

The wider community also has a key role to play. Which is why I am delighted that we will soon be rolling out a code-word scheme to maximise the opportunities domestic abuse victims have to seek help. For someone who is emotionally and physically trapped, a trip to the pharmacy or supermarket may be their only escape from their abuser, so we will be training retail staff to recognise a simple code word, and help them immediately get emergency support from the police, or non-urgent support via the National Domestic Abuse helpline. The scheme will be designed to be simple and easy to understand, but we hope it will save many lives.

Protecting our children from life-shattering sexual exploitation and abuse will also be at the top of the summit’s agenda. From the start of lockdown, we have been alive to the risk that depraved predators may take advantage of the fact that our young people were going to be spending more time online. And the devastating scale of the problem was revealed when the Internet Watch Foundation reported a shocking 8 million attempts by UK users to access indecent images of children during the pandemic.

Thankfully, their work means many of these child abuse sites are blocked to UK users, demonstrating why innovation is key to staying one step ahead of ruthless and determined criminals. That’s why we are boosting efforts by our National Crime Agency to bear down on offenders. The extra funding will help ensure they leave no stone unturned when pursuing dangerous and sophisticated offenders on the dark web.

But catching them is just the start. We need justice to be delivered. So we are investing in projects to improve the intelligence picture of the child abuse threat as well as those focused on the best use of analysis and evidence-gathering, vital in solving complex cases and safeguarding those at risk from exploitation.

Hidden offences can evolve and no victim or perpetrator will fit the same mould. This summit makes plain the Government’s unwavering efforts to prevent abuse in whatever ugly form it takes, and to help victims rebuild their lives. We have a roadmap to return our country back to normal, and through this summit, we will now have a roadmap to intensify our action against these horrific crimes.

Priti Patel is the Home Secretary

follow Priti Patel on Twitter @pritipatel; read more at telegraph.co.uk/ opinion