The Starmer government’s strategies for domestic violence victim support in the UK have not achieved the desired results due to poor coordination between different institutions and the lack of a comprehensive and coherent policy. The National Audit Office (NAO) report shows that violence against women and girls in the UK has reached unprecedented levels. Despite repeated promises from successive governments, efforts to tackle this crisis remain ineffective. The new UK government has promised to halve the rate of violence against women within the next decade. Many experts believe this target is unrealistic without large budget allocations and extensive reforms to the justice system. This article examines the issue of domestic violence in the UK. It will also discuss the reasons for the failure to prevent the increase in domestic violence.
The alarming trend of violence against women in the UK
Violence against women, as one of the serious problems in the UK, became a worrying crisis in 2024. The Guardian has published a shocking report examining the murders of 80 women in the past year. The Guardian wrote that the problem remains a persistent and worrying trend in the UK. Cases like the murders of Karen Cummings, Astra Sirapina and Margaret Maude Hanson are only part of the tragedy. The report is only part of a broader problem that official statistics confirm. The lack of domestic violence victim support in the UK has led to its dimensions widening.
Increase in crimes of violence against women in England and Wales.
Data from the NAO shows that a fifth of all recorded crimes in England and Wales are related to violence against women and girls. Over the past year, more than 123,000 cases of rape and sexual violence were recorded. The new statistics show a more than threefold increase compared to previous years. At the same time, the conviction rate for perpetrators of violence against women and girls remains low. The report also shows that the prevalence of sexual assault has increased from 3.4% to 4.3%. According to this statistic, at least one in 12 women in England has now been a victim of sexual violence in their lifetime.
Domestic violence in England has increased in recent years.
Previously, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) had revealed that violence against women and girls in England had increased by more than 37% from 2018 to 2023. Over one million violent crimes against women and girls were recorded in 2023. At least one in 12 women is a victim each year, which is likely to be much higher. The NPCC also announced that sexual harassment had increased by more than 400% between 2013 and 2022.
Lack of Domestic Violence Victim Support in the UK
The former UK’s Deputy Secretary of State for Women made a bitter admission. She said that despite numerous follow-ups, no one is listening to the voices of women victims of domestic violence. Therefore, she said, in practice, domestic violence victim support in the UK has not been implemented in the UK. According to official reports, every five days in England and Wales, an average of one woman is murdered by her current or former partner. Also, one in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Also, one person goes to state-run care camps for help every two minutes. Anneliese Dodds, the former UK’s Minister of State for Women and Equalities, admitted that some women victims of domestic violence who are subjected to violence and abuse by their household members have reported to the UK police several times, but they have not received any results.
Home is an unsafe place for British women.
Anneliese Dodds warned that violence against women in the country was “stubbornly high”, but the rate of convictions for such crimes was “very low.” “For some women, unfortunately, home can be a perilous place,” she said. The government official promised that the Starmer government was determined to change the situation. She said that domestic violence victim support in the UK would be increased under the Starmer government. The Independent recently reported that more than half of domestic violence victims are homeless after fleeing their homes. Domestic violence victims continue to be homeless due to a lack of government support. There are concerns that domestic abuse is becoming more widespread. The concerns of victims of domestic violence are exacerbated by the early release of prisoners. By releasing prisoners early from prison, they are putting survivors at serious risk.
The Starmer government’s lack of a clear strategy to address the crisis of violence against women
In 2021, after the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, the British government announced that it would implement a national strategy to combat violence against women. The new report shows that the British government’s plans have not yielded tangible results. Among the weaknesses of these plans is the lack of sufficient funding. It also pointed out the lack of effective oversight of the performance of institutions and the lack of a comprehensive database to monitor the situation of violence against women as other weaknesses of the British government’s plans to combat violence against women. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the chair of the Commons public accounts committee, stated in this regard: “Government’s disjointed approach to tackling the epidemic of violence against women and girls has so far failed to improve outcomes for victims.”
The Starmer government’s failure to prevent domestic violence in the UK
The lack of a comprehensive approach and adequate resources has left many female victims frustrated with the criminal justice system. Isabelle Younane of Women’s Aid warned that the government had yet to implement a concrete plan to implement these promises and that funding for this area was still unclear. She added: “Our concern is that it was a difficult autumn budget for violence against women and girls; the sector is really struggling in terms of funding in this space.”
Starmer’s failure: the crisis point of domestic violence in the UK
Successive governments have repeatedly emphasized their commitment to domestic violence victim support in the UK. However, the crisis has not only not diminished but is also escalating. The weakness of the judiciary in dealing decisively with perpetrators leads to the continuation of the domestic violence crisis. Also, the lack of coordination between government institutions and the lack of adequate budget and planning are the main factors that continue this crisis. Women’s rights activists emphasize that without a comprehensive and transparent plan, the level of domestic violence in the UK cannot decrease. Also, without reforms in the judicial process and widespread cultural changes, the crisis of violence against women in the UK will continue. The Starmer government’s inattention to violence prevention policies has led to the situation becoming critical. Also, the lack of a change in cultural attitudes has caused this crisis to reach a critical point.
