Refuge launches ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign to call for amendment to Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill

Refuge launches ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign to call for amendment to Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill

• Campaign calls for Bill to explicitly include domestic abuse, sexual violence, and domestic homicide in Serious Violence Duty
• Since 2009, 16 women have lost their lives to male violence where the perpetrator is a serving or former police officer (source, Femicide Census)
• Campaigners from Refuge, including CEO Ruth Davison, along with supporters Baroness Helena Kennedy QC and Jo Brand, will today gather at 09:15am outside New Scotland Yard to display 16 silhouettes with the important words ‘Enough is Enough’ to represent the 16 women that have been killed by current or former police officers since 2009 (source ‘Femicide Census’). Karen Ingala Smith, co-founder of the Femicide Census will be available remotely.

Refuge, the country’s largest single provider of specialist domestic abuse services has, together with the Femicide Census co-founder Karen Ingala Smith, today launched its ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign, asking the government to take immediate, affirmative action to better protect women and girls. Supporters will be emailing the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, urging her to take action. We know that the Home Secretary shares our concerns that violence against women and girls must be urgently addressed and echoes our call that ‘Enough is Enough’.

According to the Femicide Census, since 2009, 16 women have lost their lives to male violence where the perpetrator has been a serving or former police officer. Since the horrific murder of Sarah Everard, 81 women have lost their lives to male violence.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill, due back in the House of Lords on 20th October for its Committee Stage, provides the perfect legislative vehicle by which the government can make change. At a time when Violence Against Women and Girls has never been higher on the public or political agenda, Refuge is hopeful that the government will act.

Ruth Davison, Refuge CEO said:

‘Refuge has launched this campaign today to send a very clear message to the government that we need action. Earlier this week, we heard that a new inquiry would launch – but that is simply not enough. The Home Secretary herself has said ‘Enough is Enough’ and we hope that our campaign can bring about real change for women and girls.

We need to insist that the culture of misogyny in the police is challenged without delay. That is why Refuge is gathering outside New Scotland Yard today. We know that the government has a clear mandate to do more, and we are hopeful that they will implement the very clear and much needed recommendations that came from the recent Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Refuge Services (HMICFRS) report. The report made it very clear that violence against women and girls is an epidemic, and it should be given the same priority as terrorism.

Refuge hears from women every day that have no trust in the police to protect them. We know that police officers accused of domestic abuse are a third less likely to be convicted than those who are not police officers. We have heard the horrific accounts of how Wayne Couzens, a serving police officer, was able to use his position to kidnap, rape, and murder Sarah Everard. Enough is enough.’

Karen Ingala Smith, co-founder of the Femicide Census said:

‘Since 2009, the Femicide Census has documented that 16 women have been killed by men who were serving or former police officers. Men’s violence cannot be allowed to continue to end and degrade women’s lives. We need to see urgent and radical action from the government if we are going to see progress reducing men’s violence against women, including fatal violence.

I find it astonishing that the work to document the lives and deaths of women killed by men is done by me, from home, simply because I feel so strongly about ensuring these women are named and recognised, rather than by a government appointed body whose job it is to record when women are killed, by who and in what circumstances. What message does that send to women and girls? What message does it send to abusive men? Enough is enough. The time for the government to hear our warnings and take action is long overdue.’

Supporters can take action by emailing the Home Secretary here: https://campaign.refuge.org.uk/page/91228/action/1

ENDS.

About Refuge:

Refuge supports more than 7,000 women and children on any given day, and runs the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which is the gateway to accessing specialist support across the country. More than one in four women in England and Wales experiences domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime, and two women a week are killed by a current or former partner.

Please signpost to Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247, available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for free, confidential specialist support. Or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk to fill in a webform and request a safe time to be contacted or to access live chat (live chat available 3pm-10pm, Monday to Friday). For support with tech abuse visit refugetechsafety.org

For more information contact press@refuge.org.uk