Tackling violence against women ‘should be priority’

ALL police forces should prioritise tackling domestic abuse and crimes of sexual violence, campaigners said, amid calls for the Government to launch an inquiry after Sarah Everard’s murder.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs called on ministers to do more to address what has been described as an epidemic of crime against women.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse came under fire for suggesting it was up to local areas to decide whether violence against women and girls is a serious crime.

Asked on Radio 4’s Today programme why the Government was “resisting” putting violence against women and girls on the same level as knife crime, terrorism and other offences that are prioritised, Mr Malthouse responded: “We are not resisting. What we have said is the serious violence duty which is embedded in the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill currently in the House of Lords is very widely drawn, and specifically so to allow local areas to design their own strategies about the violence that particularly affects them. If there are areas that particularly want to focus on violence against women and girls and feel they have a systemic problem, then the duty allows them to do that.”

Jess Phillips, Labour’s shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, branded his comments an insult on Twitter, adding: “Imagine him saying that about terrorism – do it if you want.”

In another post, Ms Jacobs added: “The case could not be clearer. The Govt must explicitly include Violence Against Women & Girls in the serious violence duty in the #PolicingBill. Domestic abuse + sexual violence must be strategic priorities for all forces.”

Labour said the Government must launch a comprehensive, swift and transparent independent inquiry to answer questions on how warning signs of Wayne Couzens’ behaviour were not acted upon and more widely investigate police safeguarding, vetting and misconduct procedures to ensure “nobody slips through the net”.