“Domestic abuse is a despicable crime"
Domestic abusers may be added to the violent and sex offender register as part of a new campaign to combat violence against women, which coincides with the first-ever designation of this issue as a national threat.
With a new crackdown on violence against women and girls, the violent and sex offender register will be expanded to include the most severe domestic abusers.
This is the first time that domestic violence is officially viewed as a national security issue.
The Home Office estimates that 2.4 million individuals in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in 2022 and that domestic violence is a factor in one in five killings.
To safeguard the public, the new rule would require police, prison services and probation services to monitor criminals who have been convicted of using coercive or controlling behaviour and sentenced to at least a year in prison or with a suspended sentence jointly.
This implies that anybody who receives the punishments will be added to the violent and sex offenders register and will need to notify the police of any names, aliases or residences they occupy for longer than a week.
Also, they must notify the authorities of any international travel, their bank account information and any extended stays in a home with children (more than 12 hours).
New civil orders that might allow for the electronic tagging, monitoring and need of offenders to participate in behaviour modification programmes are also being tested in three parts of the UK.
Together with this, the Home Office is creating a new digital tool that can assist law enforcement in identifying potential offenders, whether or not they have been convicted.
For the first time, the Home Secretary’s publication of a new strategic policy mandate, classified violence against girls and women as a national danger on January 20, 2023.
As a result, authorities will have to treat these offences in the same manner as child sex abuse, organised crime and terrorism.
Suella Braverman said: “Domestic abuse is a despicable crime that leads to people’s closest relationships becoming a frightening existence of torment, pain, fear, and anxiety.
“It is completely unacceptable and as Home Secretary, I will do everything in my power to stop it.”
The government also intends to spend £8.4 million over the next two years to fund specialised victim assistance programmes and to give the police priority in preventing violence against women and girls.
Rishi Sunak said:
“No woman or girl should ever have to feel unsafe in her home or community and I am determined to stamp out these appalling crimes.”
“The Ask for Ani scheme provides a lifeline for anyone suffering from domestic abuse and we will continue to expand the scheme so that more people can access it, including piloting this service in the first Jobcentres.
“As well as extra support for victims, we’re making it a priority for the police to tackle violence against women and girls and toughening up the way offenders are managed – preventing more of these crimes from happening in the first place, and bringing more perpetrators to justice.”
The 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline can be contacted at 0808 2000 247.
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