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10 Dec 2024
Question
Violence against Women and Girls

1. ANALYSIS

Overview:

  • The debate focuses on the steps being undertaken by the UK Government through the criminal justice system to counter violence against women and girls.
  • Addressed issues include improvements in protective measures against domestic abuse, judicial processes concerning rape cases, support for grassroots organizations, and measures against online abuse such as deepfake pornography.

Key Highlights:

  • Policy & Legislation: The mention of domestic abuse protection orders signifies new efforts to cover coercive and controlling behaviour and is a legislative action aimed to bolster victim protection.
  • Named entities and Participants: Key speakers include Elaine Stewart (Labour MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock), Alex Davies-Jones (Labour), Gregory Stafford (Conservative), Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour), and Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru).
  • Statistical Goals: Commitment from the government to halve violence against women within a decade.
  • New Commitments: Ensuring current funding levels for sexual violence and domestic abuse support for the next financial year.
  • Judicial Procedures: Fast-tracking rape cases indicates procedural priorities for expedient justice delivery.
  • Technology and Abuse: Discussion of deepfake legislation points towards legislative evolution in response to modern technological threats.

2. SPEAKER POINTS

  • Elaine Stewart (Labour) - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
    • Topic Focus: Domestic abuse protections.
    • Contributions: Addressed recent government efforts with domestic abuse orders and advocated for organizational support.
    • Quotes: Emphasized praising Women’s Aid and the need for reliable funding for support organizations.
    • Keywords: Domestic abuse, protection orders, Women’s Aid.
  • Alex Davies-Jones (Labour) - Pontypridd
    • Topic Focus: Recognition of grassroots support organizations, judicial efficiency.
    • Contributions: Echoed the praise for Women’s Aid, highlighted government commitment to reducing violence.
    • Quotes: Committed to maintaining funding levels for support services.
    • Keywords: Fast-tracking, support funding, manifesto commitment.
  • Gregory Stafford (Conservative) - Farnham and Bordon
    • Topic Focus: Prison transfer concerns.
    • Contributions: Raised concerns about offender relocation impacting victim's family safety.
    • Position: Called for intervention to prevent offender transfer to open prison.
    • Keywords: Prison transfer, victim safety, community access.
  • Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour) - Gower
    • Topic Focus: Online safety and image abuse.
    • Contributions: Raised the issue of increasing image-based abuse, specifically deepfake pornography.
    • Response: Government’s commitment to criminalize deepfake pornography.
    • Keywords: Deepfake pornography, image abuse, online safety.
  • Liz Saville Roberts (PC) - Dwyfor Meirionnydd
    • Topic Focus: Sentencing concerns for crimes involving trust abuse.
    • Contributions: Highlighted the inadequacy of sentences for serious crimes and called for victim protection against early release of offenders.
    • Response: Minister offered to discuss concerns further and review case specifics.
    • Keywords: Sentence review, trust activities, early release fears.

This comprehensive analysis synthesizes the parliamentary debate on tackling violence against women and girls, with key issues addressed, speaker contributions, and policy commitments analyzed within the current legislative framework. Direct engagement with constituents’ concerns and legislative adaptation to evolving challenges like online abuse highlight an ongoing nuanced and multifaceted government response.

Key Contributions

Original Transcript
Elaine Stewart
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
Lab
Question
UIN: 901720

3. What steps her Department is taking through the criminal justice system to help tackle violence against women and girls.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
Alex Davies-Jones

Last week, this Government introduced domestic abuse protection orders in selected areas. This will improve protection for victims of domestic abuse, including non-physical abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.

We have also committed to fast-tracking rape cases through the courts in order to deliver swift justice for victims of this abhorrent offence.

Elaine Stewart

I recently visited South Ayrshire Women’s Aid in my constituency as part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Will the Minister join me in praising the hard work of Women’s Aid in supporting women and girls who have suffered violence?

Does she agree that we need more support for these organisations up and down the country, particularly in respect of reliable funding?

Alex Davies-Jones

I wholeheartedly echo my hon. Friend’s words about the vital work of organisations such as Women’s Aid, who do such brilliant work in empowering women and children to rebuild their lives after experiencing domestic abuse.

This Government are committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade.

That is why I have decided to protect violence against women and girls victims spending in the Ministry of Justice by maintaining the current funding levels for sexual violence and domestic abuse support for the next financial year.

Gregory Stafford
Farnham and Bordon
Con

In August 2008, Alan Jermey brutally murdered Kirsty Wilson, strangling her and setting her body on fire while their two young daughters slept upstairs. He has now been recommended for transfer to an open prison, which could allow him unchaperoned access to the community within six months.

His daughters, now 18 and 23, are my constituents, and they are terrified by the thought of encountering him, or worse, of him coming to their home, as he knows their address. Will the Lord Chancellor meet me and these young women to discuss their fears and ensure that this transfer is stopped?

Alex Davies-Jones

I would be delighted to meet the hon. Gentleman and his constituents to discuss the case.

Tonia Antoniazzi
Gower
Lab

The Minister will be aware of increased reports of internet image abuse and the rise of deepfake pornography. What is her Department doing to ensure that women and girls are safe online and that this modern form of abuse can be prevented?

Alex Davies-Jones
11:43

This Government share the concern that more needs to be done to protect women from this appalling form of abuse.

That is why we made a clear commitment in our manifesto to criminalise the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images of adults, and I look forward to setting out our position on this in more detail soon.

Liz Saville Roberts
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
PC

Four schoolgirls suffered sexual abuse by their headteacher, Neil Foden, who was sentenced in July to 17 years with a two-thirds tariff.

The Crown Prosecution Service now tells me that Foden will instead spend half his sentence in prison, because the most serious of his crimes can only be sentenced to 14 years.

Will the Minister meet me to discuss how to safeguard the victims, whose abuser was in a position of trust, because they live in fear of his early release?

Alex Davies-Jones

I am aware of the appalling case that the right hon. Lady mentions. It is horrific and all my thoughts are with the victims of those crimes. If she wants to write to me with more details, I will happily look at the case.

As she knows, sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, but I will look at the case and meet her to discuss it further.

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All content derived from official parliamentary records