Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has welcomed a new report setting out the scale of violence against women and girls in the UK and the action needed to protect future victims.
The National Policing Statement on Violence Against Women and Girls, commissioned by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and College of Policing, brings together new data and analysis revealing the epidemic scale of offending.
It reveals more than one million VAWG related crimes were recorded during 2022/23, accounting for 20 per cent of all police recorded crime. VAWG crimes have soared by 37 per cent between 2018 and 2023.
At least one in every 12 women is a victim of VAWG every year, with the exact figure expected to be much higher.
The National Policing Statement calls for a whole-system approach that brings criminal justice partners, government bodies and industry together in a new partnership to reduce the scale of VAWG and improve the response to victims of VAWG crimes.
Welcoming the new report, Mr Matthews said: "The National Policing Statement on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) reveals the enormity of the challenge we face to protect women and girls from these despicable crimes. I wholeheartedly support the emphasis on a partnership approach with every agency and the wider public working tirelessly towards a single goal; to serve our victims better.
"Prevention is a pivotal theme throughout my Police and Crime Plan and continues to steer my safety work. Wholesale change is needed to not only reduce the immediate threat to women and girls but to challenge and disrupt the attitudes and beliefs that fuel violence before they have an opportunity to manifest. This means working with young people and children, in our schools, youth settings and beyond, before the onset of offending as part of a holistic, public-health approach.
"The figures in this report are stark. Worryingly, they show VAWG crimes are growing with offending becoming more complicated and posing greater harm to victims. It is unacceptable and unjust that women must live amid constant fear, and I support the NPCC's call for a stronger and more consistent response that is suspect-focused and importantly puts victims of VAWG at the centre of the response.
"I will work closely with the Chief Constable to ensure Leicestershire Police delivers on the ambitious commitments set out in this statement. While positive progress has been made, including enhanced training for thousands of officers to improve the investigation of VAWG offences, there is clearly much more to do. Alongside my PCC colleagues, I will continue to highlight the need for extra central funding to deliver the resources and vital support services that are necessary to fight this crime effectively and encourage more victims to come forward."
