A Conservative majority government will introduce an ambitious package of measures to support the victims of crime, the party has announced today.
The measures announced today include:
- £15 million for rape victims: A cash injection to support police and CPS casework teams handling rape cases, doubling the current funding for the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund and more Independent Sexual Violence Advisors to give vital emotional and practical support to more rape victims.
- Parole reform: A root-and-branch review of prisoner release arrangements will include allowing victims and the media to apply to attend parole hearings.
- Increasing the Victims Surcharge: Convicted offenders will pay 25% more to support refuges and community support for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
- Enshrining the rights of victims in law: Our Victims’ Law will guarantee victims’ rights and the level of support they should receive.
These measures come alongside the commitment that a Conservative majority Government will reintroduce the Domestic Abuse Bill and Helen’s Law in the first Queens’ speech following the General Election. Both bills will protect victims and ensure they have the support they need.
- Helen’s Law places a legal duty on the Parole Board to consider the cruelty of killers who refuse to give the location of a victim’s remains when assessing their release.
- The Domestic Abuse Bill includes the first ever statutory government definition of domestic abuse to acknowledge the physical, psychological and economic dimensions of domestic abuse and also introduce range of new protections for victims.
Commenting on the announcement, Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins said:
“Victims of crime will often have been through horrific and harrowing experiences. They may have had their lives ripped apart because of physical, emotional or economic abuse.
“These plans will help to ensure that the system is working for them, not against them – and that they can always count on receiving the justice and support that they deserve.