Starmer: Tackling violence against women and girls is a “personal mission”

Keir Starmer has said it is his “personal mission” to tackle violence against women and girls and accused the government of “failing” to protect women, in comments on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The Labour leader said today: “It is my personal mission to tackle violence against women and girls. It is destroying lives and families. This government is failing. Labour would act to protect women.

“Here are three ways we’ll do that. Impose tougher sentences for rape, stalking and domestic murder, including a minimum sentence for rape of seven years and whole-life tariffs for rape, abduction and murder.

“Roll out new specialist rape courts, fast-tracking rape cases and supporting victims. Establish a new domestic violence register for serial domestic abusers and stalkers.”

According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data published in February, and covering the period up to March 2021, over the last 10 years, there was an average of 77 women killed each year by a partner or ex-partner.

The ONS reported in January that the number of rape offences in England and Wales in the year to September 2021 was 63,136 – the highest annual total on record. Approximately 820 (1.3%) of the reported offences led to a suspect being charged.

The Commons home affairs committee concluded in a report in April that charging, prosecution and conviction levels for rape remain “shamefully low”. Its report argued that public confidence in the ability of the criminal justice system to handle cases is at “what could be its lowest point”.

Commenting following the report’s publication, committee chair Diana Johnson said: “The collapse in the number of prosecutions for rape and sexual offences over the last five years is truly shocking and completely unacceptable.

“While it is clear that significant effort is being put in to reversing this decline across the criminal justice system, there is much further to go. Thousands of victims are failing to get the justice they deserve, and this has to stop.”

Yvette Cooper said today: “Violence against women and girls is a stain on our society. Victims of devastating crimes like rape and domestic abuse have had enough of warm words, they need real and decisive action.

“Charges and prosecutions have plummeted under this government, and the court backlog means criminals are let off and victims are let down.

“A Labour government will not rest until women and girls are safe. We will put rape and domestic abuse specialists in every police force in England and Wales, introduce a register for domestic abusers and introduce specialist rape courts to speed up the system.

“But we recognise that we will only end violence against women and girls when every department does its bit. A Labour government will include a minister for survivors, working across departments to ensure that everything possible is done to keep women safe.”

The Shadow Home Secretary declared at party conference in September that a Labour government would act on the “epidemic” of violence against women and girls, announcing that the party would deliver specialist support for victims by putting domestic abuse experts into 999 control rooms in every police force.

She told conference: “Today, across our country, more than 300 women will be raped. Of those, around 190 rapes will be reported. Of those, only three rapists will see the inside of a court room, never mind a prison cell. The rest will be free to hurt, abuse and rape again. We cannot stand for this.”