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Police Forces Must Prioritize Violence Against Women and Girls with the Same Urgency as Terrorism

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Following the full-life sentence of Sarah Everard's killer, Wayne Couzens, the victims commissioner for England and Wales, Vera Baird, has emphasized the need for police forces to deal with violence against women and girls with the same level of resources, expertise, and urgency as terrorism or organized crime. The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has called for an inquiry into how Couzens, a Metropolitan police officer, "slipped through the cracks" despite being reported for indecent exposure on three occasions.

The Counting Dead Women project, run by Karen Ingala Smith, has documented 80 women killed between the deaths of Sarah Everard in March and Sabina Nessa on 17 September. An examination by the police and emergency services inspectorate has found "problems, unevenness, and inconsistencies" in dealing with the "epidemic" of violence against female victims in the UK.

Key Takeaways:

  • The victims commissioner for England and Wales, Vera Baird, has urged police forces to prioritize violence against women and girls with the same level of resources, expertise, and urgency as terrorism or organized crime.
  • The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has called for an inquiry into how Sarah Everard's killer, Wayne Couzens, "slipped through the cracks" despite being reported for indecent exposure on three occasions.
  • The Counting Dead Women project has documented 80 women killed between the deaths of Sarah Everard in March and Sabina Nessa on 17 September.
  • An examination by the police and emergency services inspectorate has found "problems, unevenness, and inconsistencies" in dealing with the "epidemic" of violence against female victims in the UK.
  • The government's violence against women and girls strategy published this summer aims to increase support for survivors, bring perpetrators to justice, and reduce prevalence.
  • Human rights lawyers and experts have called for swift action to outlaw so-called conversion therapy, which seeks to suppress, "cure," or change sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • The Forum, chaired by Helena Kennedy QC, has called for all practices, including prayer, to be criminalized, with no defense for consent.

Statistics:

  • 80 women killed between the deaths of Sarah Everard in March and Sabina Nessa on 17 September.
  • 1 in 6 households in parliamentary "red wall" areas can expect to see fuel poverty worsen as a result of next week's energy cap rise.
  • 1.1 million extra staff needed in the NHS and social care services in England over the next decade to keep up with growing demand.
  • Up to £86.4 billion more needed to fund the extra personnel, going beyond the 1.25 percentage point rise in national insurance.

Sources:

  • The Guardian
  • The Times
  • The Telegraph
  • The Mirror
  • The Metro
  • The i
  • The Mail
  • The Express
  • The FT
  • Counting Dead Women project
  • The Forum, chaired by Helena Kennedy QC

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