Domestic abuse commissioner says Government lacks momentum to meet VAWG target

The domestic abuse commissioner has cast doubt on the Government meeting its target to halve violence against women and girls, insisting victims “cannot wait any longer” for a delayed strategy to be published.

Dame Nicole Jacobs, the commissioner for England and Wales, said she cannot see momentum within the Government to fulfil its vow to halve such violence in the next 10 years.

She criticised the delay in publishing a strategy to meet the goal, and said “no major funding” had been announced for specialist domestic abuse services.

In June, equalities minister Seema Malhotra told Parliament the Government was taking “firm action across Government to deliver our unprecedented ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade”, and that a strategy would be published during the summer.

Dame Nicole has called on the Government to set out its plan “as a matter of urgency”.

The commissioner said: “Tens of thousands of child victims are currently not getting the level of help and support they need to recover from abuse, and I remain largely unclear on what the Government intends to do about it.

“For children, experiencing domestic abuse every day can be an anxious battle. Many are growing up in homes where the rules are always changing, where they struggle to concentrate at school and often do not know what devastating consequences the next day will bring.

“These children are our future – they need and deserve an ambitious plan from government on how it is going to ensure they are protected, but also how it intends to prevent other children from growing up in homes like theirs. But this has yet to materialise.

“Halving violence against women and girls within a decade is an ambitious target and one I applaud. But with the VAWG (violence against women and girls) strategy still delayed and no major funding announced for specialist domestic abuse services, I fail to see where the momentum within government is coming from to ensure this commitment succeeds.

“It’s vital that the Government clearly sets out how it intends to tackle and prevent domestic abuse as a matter of urgency. It should not need to be said that adult and child victims cannot wait any longer.”

The commissioner spoke as the Government issued its formal response to her report, published earlier this year, recommending changes needed to strengthen the support given to children in situations involving domestic abuse.

These included ensuring schools, the NHS and other public services including police forces and social care services are better equipped to help address domestic abuse through proper resourcing, guidance, training and funding.

She said the Government had stated its intention to act fully on only 10 of her 66 recommendations.

Her office said while some of the remaining 56 recommendations have been accepted partially, the majority have been flagged as either needing further consultation as to whether they are required or have been “dismissed outright”.

The Government thanked the commissioner for her report and said it has a “continued commitment to tackling the root causes of domestic abuse and supporting child victims”.

The Government noted it is updating the Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, “to equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to build positive relationships and to recognise abusive behaviour” and strengthening the skills and capabilities of child and family social workers to identify and address domestic abuse through a new social work induction programme.

It said its upcoming VAWG strategy “will set out the Government’s plans to improve support for victims of domestic abuse, including for babies, children and young people” and “the vision, direction and key policy commitments that will enable the Government to meet its ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade”.