Harsher penalties for attacks on children

PEOPLE who violently attack children will get longer jail terms under a Tory government, Theresa May will announce today.

The Prime Minister will promise to increase the number of prosecutions and do more to tackle the “hidden scandal” sweeping the nation.

A new domestic violence and abuse bill will create an aggravated offence allowing harsher punishments for cases involving children.

The moves come amid concerns that the legal system often lets down victims and that there are regional variations in police responses.

Mrs May will also pledge to appoint a domestic violence commissioner to stand up for victims and hold the police and the justice system to account.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, she said: “The last seven years of Conservative government have delivered real steps towards tackling domestic violence – we are punishing more perpetrators, and helping more victims get refuge and justice.

“But we will launch a relentless drive to help survivors find justice and increase the number of successful prosecutions. This hidden scandal, that takes place every day in homes across Britain, must be tackled head on.

“And we must respond to the devastating and lifelong impact that domestic abuse has on children, who carry the effects into adulthood.”

The Tory bill will extend the length of sentences for anyone who is found to have abused a child.

The bill will also introduce a statutory definition for domestic violence.

There are understood to be as many as two million victims of domestic abuse each year, according to the latest Crime Survey of England and Wales.