Domestic Abuse: Victim Support

Rebecca Smith, the Conservative MP for South West Devon, asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Davies-Jones, what support the Department is providing to victims of domestic abuse. The Minister responded that the Government is deeply committed to supporting domestic abuse victims, providing funding to police and crime commissioners to commission community-based support services, including independent domestic violence advisors. She also noted that domestic abuse victims are eligible for special measures in court, and that a pathfinder pilot in family courts aims to improve experiences and outcomes for children and families affected by domestic abuse. In a follow-up, Ms. Smith highlighted the challenges faced by domestic abuse charities, such as First Light South-West and Hourglass, which works with older victims, regarding short-term funding streams and the impact on staff recruitment and retention, as well as service provision. She asked the Minister to commit to providing sustainable long-term funding for frontline domestic abuse services, including specialist services for older victims. The Minister acknowledged the outstanding work of Hourglass and others, and stated that the Ministry of Justice provides annual grant funding to police and crime commissioners to commission local support services. While she could not pre-empt future funding announcements, the Minister noted that the Ministry has allocated £1.2 million over two years to support the training and infrastructure of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs), as well as to support organisations like Hourglass. Jake Richards, the Labour MP for Rother Valley, raised the issue of domestic violence cases in private children's cases in the family courts, highlighting the significant delays families are facing in having their cases heard and decided. He asked what steps the Government is taking to expedite these cases, particularly in collaboration with other agencies. The Minister acknowledged the importance of supporting separating families and helping them resolve issues quickly without the need for court intervention. She stated that her officials are working closely on this complex issue and that she would be happy to provide a more thorough update soon. Gareth Bacon, the Conservative MP for Orpington, raised the issue of domestic murder, the most severe form of domestic violence, and asked what assessment the Minister has made of the Killed Women campaign. The Minister expressed awareness of the campaign, stating that its aims are admirable and that any woman murdered by domestic homicide is one too many. She acknowledged the shocking statistic that three women a week are being murdered and stated that the Government is working to address this. In a follow-up, Mr. Bacon asked the Minister to commit to responding to the calls of Killed Women campaign members to address the discrepancy between the starting point for sentences in domestic murder cases versus other murder cases, and to include appropriate measures in the forthcoming victims, courts and public protection Bill. The Minister stated that she is meeting with the women imminently to discuss this further and that the Government has committed to a thorough sentencing review.