Hastings Councillors Discuss Domestic Violence With Sussex PCC

Councillors in Hastings have held a discussion with PCC Katy Bourne about preventing violence and domestic abuse against women and girls.

“It is unacceptable in 2021, that we have women who are not able – or are scared – to go out alone at night or to visit certain areas.”

With these words, Hastings councillor Judy Rogers (Lab, Castle) struck at the heart of a discussion held during a Sussex Police & Crime Panel meeting last week.

Domestic abuse and violence against women and girls were among the topics discussed during the meeting on Friday (September 24) where Ms Rogers asked for assurances that the force had been giving the crimes ‘serious priority’.

That assurance was given, with Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne describing the work of the pan-Sussex strategic framework for domestic and sexual violence and abuse.

The framework lays out a list of priorities such as prevention and early intervention, supporting victims and survivors, and catching those responsible.

The framework, which runs until 2024, includes a summary, which reads:

“We want to see an end to domestic and sexual violence and abuse in Sussex to keep people safe.

“We are committed to preventing domestic abuse, improving the support and protection for victims and their children, and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions”

The framework also stressed the need to treat victims with dignity and not blame them for what happened.

This point was picked up by Mrs Bourne, who told the meeting that, on average, victims of domestic abuse endured more than 30 attacks or assaults before contacting police.

She said:

“We talk a lot about ‘why doesn’t she leave?’, ‘why doesn’t she do this?’ and ‘what sort of help does she need?’.

“But actually we sometimes forget we’re not asking the right questions here. 

“It’s more a case of ‘why doesn’t he stop?’, ‘why does he get away with it in the first place?’ and ‘what’s happening to stop him from doing that?’.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that countrywide, in the year ending March 2020, an estimated 1.6 million women in England and Wales were the victims of domestic abuse.

In April 2020, Sussex Police set up a Local Resolution Team of 39 specialist officers to respond exclusively to low-risk, non-urgent reports of domestic abuse.

With enhanced training in victim safeguarding, support services and evidence-led prosecutions, they have met with 2,930 victims – either online or face-to-face – in the past six months.

On the other side of the coin, the Sussex Perpetrator Intervention Programme was launched in March.

The aim of the voluntary programme is to help abusers to recognise and address their abusive behaviours.

Mrs Bourne praised the work of her team in securing extra funding for services supporting the victims and witnesses to crime.

It came as a boost to the £2m usually received for that purpose from the Ministry for Justice

She said:

“In the last 12 months there have been opportunities from this government which we have grabbed with both hands to apply for more funding in these areas.

“As a result, where I would normally spend £1.5m on services for victims and girls, this year alone in the last 12 months we’ve spent £3.4m because we’ve been able to attract so much extra funding.

“We’ve been pretty much successful in every bid we’ve put in, which has been fantastic.”

When it came to rape and serious sexual offences, Mrs Bourne told the meeting that Sussex Police, along with Surrey and Kent Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, had been part of a pilot ‘early advice’ scheme.

The aim of the pilot is to reduce the amount of time it takes for a case to progress from investigation to court.

Evidence, a suspect account and a case file have to be submitted within 42 days of the initial report.

So far, 264 cases have been submitted – 125 from Sussex – with one successful charge brought in the first six months.

A report to the meeting said:

“With the average length of an investigation taking a year, additional charges are anticipated throughout the remainder of 2021/22.”

For advice about domestic abuse, log on to www.sussex.police.uk

Advice for victims of crime can be found at www.safespacesussex.org.uk