Dear All,
It is confirmed. The Government will vote against Amendment 42 (it has changed from #73 going into the Commons) tomorrow on March 15 when the Domestic Abuse Bill returns to the Commons.
Minister Victoria Atkins believes that more guidance is needed and guidance will fix the problem.
We know it won't. It hasn't since 2003 when the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPAs) first came in.
Minister Atkins will argue that serial abusers and stalkers are already referred to MAPPAs and put on ViSOR - the Violent and Sexual Offenders Register. They are not.
She will argue that we do not need the new Category proposed in #Amendment42. We are arguing that we do and it should be Category 4 to ensure it's clear these men must be referred to MAPPA+. Not a 'you may' approach but a 'you MUST.'
Femicide is at an all time high and Minister Atkins wants to tackle it with a piece of paper. It's outrageous.
Coercive control and stalking are not seen as 'serious.' It is a cultural problem where women are not taken seriously or prioritized when we report and perpetrator's histories are not checked. Why is that? Oh that's right - because it's not a priority. No-one cares. It's only women.
Perpetrators are not held to account when they do offend and guidance alone will not fix this. He is still seen as a 'good enough man' and people look for reasons to blame her for the abuse.
Guidance alone will not fix this. It will not fix the victim blame.
Guidance alone will not create a national, co-ordinated and mandatory approach to serial domestic abusers and stalkers. Guidance alone will not ensure intelligence is entered onto the local and national database or the context of the offending behaviour is entered onto Police National Computer. That affray, threat criminal damage, that going equipped could be part of stalking and no-one will ever know as it is NOT currently routinely included on any local or national database.
U-turning on prioritising women's safety to me this is a dereliction of duty. They are not listening to our voices - they are not prioritising women and children's safety.
We want the responsibility to be placed on perpetrator to change their behaviour and for them to be held to account. Why is there so much resistance to that?
There has been too much victim blame for too long and the tables must be turned on the men who cause women and children to live in abject fear.
Enough is enough. No more words. No more piece of paper. We want action.
PLEASE TAKE FIVE MINUTES TO:
1. WRITE to your MP (especially if they are Conservative as we need their support in the vote) and ask them to support Amendment 42 for serial domestic abusers and stalkers tro be proactively identified, assessed and managed by police, prison and probation services and for there to be a statutory, national and consistent response using MAPPA+ (the Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements PLUS the domestic abuse and stalking specialist services and any other relevant professional who should be at the meeting.)
AND Amendment 42 includes a comprehensive perpetrator strategy. The strategy should focus on male violence against women and girls starting at one end of the spectrum with early intervention and prevention and age appropriate education for young boys and girls about healthy relationships and the other with the register and proactive identification, assessment and management of the most dangerous men who harm women and children.
This work should be led by men, yes all men, with advice of specialist female experts who have been working on male violence against women and girls. It is not women's job to fix violent and abusive men and it's time for men to step up.
2. Continue to SIGN and SHARE the petition and all posts re the campaign on social media.
We have to keep the pressure on and ensure these slippery Ministers who are supposed to represent us hear us loud and clear,
#WOMENMATTER #AMENDMENT42
Thank you so much! Together we can make this happen!
Laura xoxo