Feature
Dame Vera Baird QC, Victims Commissioner
Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner
Joint Q for Commissioners N
icole Jacobs and Dame Vera Baird QC sent a joint letter to the Lord Chancellor, Home Secretary and Attorney General concerned that “…despite increasing volumes of domestic abuse cases being reported to and recorded by the police, the numbers of perpetrators being convicted for their crimes has fallen.” Both Commissioners request a “rapid investigation” into the reasons.
The Commissioners explain their expectations for such an investigation: The sudden drop in charging cases flagged as domestic abuse, against a backdrop of a rising number of cases being reported has set alarm bells ringing. This worrying trend appears to mirror what we have seen happening in rape cases over the last 2 years, with reports going up but charges now the lowest on record. The investigation into why this has come about needs to be a priority, not least because it undermines all the good work being done to give reassurance to victims of domestic abuse that if they report, they will be supported and their perpetrators will be held to account. The investigations must look at the whole process, from complaint right through to outcome in court or a decision not to charge, so that the reasons for the sharp fall in charges can be properly understood and addressed. The investigation needs to be carried out by an independent body so that everyone has confidence in the rigour of the process and any subsequent findings.
Bhini Phagura, former solicitor, asks each of the Commissioners about their work, first, Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner. As a newly appointed Commissioner could you describe your remit and Bhini Phagura plans for your first 12 months? Our remit, as set out in the Domestic Abuse Bill, is to monitor and oversee the provision of domestic abuse services, encourage good practice in the identification and response to domestic abuse, and to hold both local and national Government to account. Over the first 12 months, key priorities have been to engage with sector partners, to learn about their priorities for the role of the DA Commissioner, as well as to build key relationships with Ministers and officials across Government. With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have pivoted to supporting joint working across the sector, escalating issues identified by partners on the front-line to national Government, and providing quick-time advice to Government Departments as they seek to respond to the surge in demand for domestic abuse services as a result of the pandemic. We have also begun work to map domestic abuse services across England & Wales, to build our understanding of what currently exists and help to end the ‘postcode lottery’ of provision across the country. As we start to come out of the pandemic, we are focusing on
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