How Will Tracking Women Stop Violent and Abusive Men? Target and Track Violent Men, Priti Patel

A new 888 service to 'protect women' has apparently received 'Priti Patel's support' in the wake of Sarah Everard's abduction, rape and murder and Wayne Couzen's conviction.

The Home Secretary Priti Patel apparently likes the 'innovative scheme' from BT's Chief Executive Philip Jansen, who wrote to Patel saying the helpline would cost around £50m and could be launched by Christmas.

Where to begin. Deep breath. Here goes:

1. What absolute lunacy. This will not 'protect women.' How will tracking women stop violent and abusive men? It is yet another reactive response, a sticking plaster, to look like something is being done;

2. What absolute BS to expect women changing their behaviour would stop male violence. When Peter Sutcliffe was stalking the streets and murdering women, women were told not to go out. As if that would stop him. And what about the simple fact that women are most at risk in the home? That is completely ignored. But yet again, this places the onus on women doing something rather than dealing with the problem of male violence;

3. Innovative my tush: There is absolutely nothing innovative about this. There are already apps that exist - see Hollie Guard and the app Paladin recently launched;

4. Pay close attention to who is being listened to: A bloke from BT who has no experience, writes one letter vs the professionals and survivors who have been working on male violence for decades.....and to add insult to injury, professionals and subject matter experts find out from an article in the Mail with zero consultation. What an insult to all women - yes ALL WOMEN;

5. And let's not forget, although it seems Priti Patel and others in power have, that 1 in 3 women are murdered by a former of current male partner (Counting Dead Women) most of whom have a history of abusing other women. How does this app help them?

I could go on. I'm incredibly angry. Everytime there is an opportunity to do something to effect real change and end male violence, it's missed. And it's missed consciously and intentionally. You see, if there were a genuine interest in ending male violence us experts and survivors - women -  would have a place at the table and ideas we have put forward would be listened to and implemented.

Instead, a bloke who knows nothing about male violence writes one letter to the Home Secretary and 'hey presto'...he gets praise, Priti Patel's ear, a big fat juicy payday of a cool £50m that is magically mustered from a non-existent budget that none of the expert VAWG charities and services appear to qualify for or knew existed.

This comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson just this week said that misogyny would not become a hate crime because it's too big a problem for the police to deal with. Excuse me? Like too big a problem that you need to actually DO something about it for the sake and safety of ALL WOMEN.... Us women who birthed you men, you mean? Now just imagine if he said that about other crime, hey? Terrorism or organised crime or burglary or robbery. Would that be allowed to fly? Absolutely not. The double standard is unfathomable.

Johnson was then swiftly followed by the new Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, who told the BBC that "misogyny is absolutely wrong  - whether it's a man against a woman or a woman against a man."

What the what? No Dominic, misogyny is the hatred of women. It cannot happen to men. What's more misogyny is where the abuse of women begins and femicide is where it can end. Put simply, misogyny kills.

And now Patel for the hattrick - a woman delivering the final insult. Patel has prioritised listening to a bloke from a private sector company rather than putting money into targeting the men of violence - those who commit the harm. You seriously cannot make this up.

Most of us simply want the police to do their job, to proactively identify men of violence just like they do terrorists, organised criminals, sex offenders, prolific robbers, burglars, and all other criminals. 

And we want women to matter. We want the Criminal Justice System to take women seriously when we report and for sentences of violent men to reflect the serious nature of their behaviour. We want serious and real life consequences for those who harm and abuse women - and it starts with misogyny and sexism. The stakes are high and women are paying with their lives.

Bring in the register for serial and repeat violent men, Priti Patel. This must be the legacy of Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, Julia James, Jane Clough, Cheryl Gabriel Hooper, Suzanne Van Hagan, Alice Ruggles, Maria Stubbings and all other women murdered by men. Now that would be innovative and lead the world.

Laura Richards

October 9 2021