Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner warns sexual assault victim services may be cut
It's nearly two months on since the government announced cuts to funding for frontline victim support,
Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner says government funding cuts are putting pressure on vital services for victims of sexual and domestic abuse and warns he can’t promise they’ll all be protected.
Tim Passmore confirmed, they've been impacted by the government's cuts to funding for frontline victim support, which saw 4.2% reduction in April.
What is this cut?
The cut comes from funding by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). Police and crime commissioners in England and Wales use this to commission practical and emotional support services for victims based on as assessment of their regions needs.
It is worth noting Rape and Sexual Abuse Support fund, is separate from this, and it's allocated budget remains at £21m for 2025-2026.
But it will not receive an increase in funding to align with inflation, despite the MoJ's overall budget rising by 4.3% in real terms
"We will do everything possible to maintain services, but I can’t guarantee that"
Speaking to us, Tim told us he's really cross by this:
“The government has cut our money for victims' funding by 4.2% for this year… It’s a very strange combination of supporting victims, reducing violence against women and girls. If you reduce the resources available, but we just have to get on with it.”
He added that contracts elsewhere in the constabulary are also causing financial strain:
“We’re also being pressurised by some other contracts that we have in the constabulary… wanting to put their prices up. Well, where am I supposed to find that money from?”
Mr Passmore said he and his team are working to protect services wherever possible but admitted it’s getting harder to maintain them:
“We will do everything possible to maintain services, but I can’t guarantee that… We’d like to have expanded it more because we know, particularly violence against women and girls, the requirement we've got there for supporting victims is growing all the time.”
"That work needs to continue"
He praised the ongoing efforts of local services like Leeway, which runs Suffolk’s domestic violence advisory service:
“When I started, we had one advisor for the whole county. I think we've now got 15 or 16. That work needs to continue. So I think the government, if they are listening… they need to hear what we’re saying and do something about it.”
Asked whether victims might see a deterioration in services due to the cuts, he said:
“There is a risk… The problem you've got when demand goes up and when you're dealing with people, it's not like running a factory. You need to have that focus on supporting victims, and that isn’t something you can just shorten or squeeze. Every case is different.”
Mr Passmore said he’s hopeful next month’s Spending Review could bring change:
“The government needs to wake up and help us… Maybe, through the comprehensive Spending Review announcement next month, that will change.”
But he added:
“Clearly, these problems created by the government are very, very unhelpful… I do know everybody is going to rise to the challenge, but it might not be quite as effective as it was previously.”
Government Response
A Government spokesperson said:
“The government inherited a £22bn black hole in the nation's finances, but we remain resolute in our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and are committed to supporting organisations that help victims of crime.
“We have maintained 2024–25 funding levels for sexual violence and domestic abuse support this year, which includes the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund for specialist services.”
They added that funding for victim and witness support services, including domestic abuse and sexual violence, is still being provided to Police and Crime Commissioners based on local need. They also pointed to a number of long-term initiatives, including:
- Legislation to increase the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner
- New Domestic Abuse Protection Orders
- Independent Legal Advisers for adult rape victims
- Tougher action against online stalking
- Domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms
The government says it is leading a cross-departmental approach to tackling violence against women and girls through the Safer Streets Mission Board.