Violence against women + girls in South Yorkshire & North Derbyshire 'still an issue'
A new report suggests government plans to tackle the issue so far 'have failed'
Government efforts in recent years to address violence against women and girls (VAWG) have not improved outcomes for victims, according to the spending watchdog.
VAWG is a “significant and growing problem” affecting one in 12 women, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.
But it added that the Home Office – the main department in charge of work to tackle it – “is not currently leading an effective cross-government response”.
A key pledge by Labour when they came into Government last summer was to halve VAWG in the next decade.
But the NAO said that to meet this target, the Home Office “will need to lead a coordinated, whole-system response that addresses the causes of VAWG”.
While the Home Office under the Conservatives created a dedicated team to lead its 2021 VAWG strategy, the NAO said the department had “found it challenging to get buy-in from other government departments”, with an oversight group working to progress the strategy not having met until a year after the launch.
A ministerial oversight group for the strategy “only met four times in three years”, the NAO said.
Public Accounts Committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the NAO report shows a “disjointed” approach from Government to tackling the “epidemic” of VAWG.
He said: “It is disappointing that the Home Office does not know where money is being spent and whether it is making a difference.
“If the Home Office is serious about halving violence against women and girls within the next decade, it cannot continue relying on fragmented efforts.
“Government must take a hard look at the lessons from past strategies and develop a better understanding of what works – both to prevent these horrific crimes and improve outcomes for traumatised victims.”
The prevalence of sexual assault against women aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales was 4.3% in 2023-24, up from 3.4% in 2009-10, the NAO said.
In that same period, incidents of rape and sexual assault against women and girls recorded by police rose from 34,000 to 123,000, although the NAO said this could partly be explained by improved recording of such crimes.
The NAO report raised questions over funding, saying that in comparison to the 2021 illegal drugs strategy, there was no joint spending review bid prepared regarding the VAWG strategy, and noted historic Home Office underspending in this area.
The watchdog stated: “Our analysis suggests other government departments spent at least £979 million between 2021-22 and 2023-24.
“The Home Office has historically underspent its own budget allocated to the VAWG Strategy, by an average of 15% between 2021-22 and 2023-24.”
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “Government’s efforts to tackle violence against women and girls have not yet improved outcomes for the victims of these crimes.
“The lack of an effective, cross-government approach and a limited understanding of what works to help reduce these crimes means the Home Office cannot be confident that government is doing the best it can to keep women and girls safe.
“The new government has set an ambitious target to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade. A well-informed and effectively implemented cross-government response is needed, that addresses both the causes and the consequences of these crimes.”
Richard Spinks' 23-year-old daughter Gracie was killed by her stalker near Chesterfield in 2021:
"Violence against women and girls is a big problem.
"I think the public, police, and powers that be are becoming more aware of this, and they've sat up and decided to do something about it.
"I think it will take some time to filter through, but I am disappointed with the results up to now.
"Any changes have got to be implemented in a multi-agency approach if you like.
"The national stalking helpline and the police approach are both crucial."