The change to the Serious Violence Duty will be made via an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
Domestic abuse and sexual offences should be considered as seriously as knife crime and homicide, the government announced yesterday as it continues driving forward action to end violence against women and girls.
Changes to legislation currently being considered in Parliament will make clear that a new legal duty requiring public bodies to work together to tackle serious violence can also include domestic abuse and sexual offences.
Introducing a Serious Violence Duty will improve wholesale understanding of the drivers of serious violence and help prevent future crime and tragedy. It will mean that police, government, and health bodies must collaborate locally, so that they can develop more holistic strategies to protect people from harm, including through early intervention.
Yesterday’s announcement bolsters the government’s recently-published strategy for ending violence against women and girls, which takes a whole-system approach to tackling this abhorrent crime. The government has been clear that all responsible parts of the public sector must raise the bar in the handling of domestic abuse and sexual violence cases.
The change to the Serious Violence Duty will be made via an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, following careful consideration and widespread support from campaigners – including the Domestic Abuse Commissioner.
Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, said: