Home Secretary: Police failing to take violence against women 'seriously'

The Home Secretary has told ITV News violence against women and girls has not been taken "seriously" by police "for far too long".

Yvette Cooper said an "overhaul" of the way police respond to domestic abuse, stalking and assaults on females was needed.

Ms Cooper said: "I think violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking haven't been taken seriously by policing for too long. We have to change that.

"I think this is really serious. We've got to have much stronger action against domestic abuse, stalking and this serious violence against women and girls. That means we need to have an overhaul in the way in which policing responds."

The Home Secretary's comments were in response to an ITV News Calendar investigation which revealed how at least 18 women were killed in the last five years by men who were already known to police forces in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

They also came on the day three Metropolitan Police officers were found guilty of gross misconduct after they accessed files relating to the Sarah Everard case with “no proper policing purpose”.

Ms Everard was kidnapped raped and murdered by serving Met Police officer, Wayne Couzens in March 2021.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) estimates that two million women are victims of male violence every year and has described the problem as a “national emergency”.

Labour has pledged to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

Ms Cooper said: "We need to see domestic abuse experts in 999 control centres so they hear what's going on.

"We need a training overhaul for policing and also new protection orders in place so stronger action is taken.

"We are bringing in new requirements on training on these sorts of crimes for police officers across the country.

"But also a requirement to have domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms - to have action locally and experts who know how serious these crimes are with new powers, protection orders. We have to have action across the board."

The NPCC says it is "absolutely determined" to tackle the problem.

Deputy Ch Con Maggie Blyth, the NPCC's lead for violence against women and girls, said: “Our focus will always be to bring the men behind these pervasive crimes to justice. By enhancing the way we use data and intelligence, we will improve our ability to identify, intercept and arrest those causing the most harm in communities.

“We know that continuous improvement is needed to strengthen policing’s response. Improvements must be driven nationally, ensuring consistency from force to force to give victims the service they expect and deserve.”

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