Violence and Abuse of women and girls.

Elect Me Nicky Massey to help me really make a change and stop violence and abuse against women and girls. If elected I will prioritise interventions and education to finally make a dent in the pandemic of domestic abuse. I will use my voice and challenge Crown prosecution service.

A woman dies at the hands of a man every 2-3 days in the UK. This dismal statistic has not changed in well over 20 years. Enough is enough.

Domestic abuse is everyone business. Everyone, including businesses, needs to step up and do what we can to stop the pandemic of domestic abuse.

I am a survivor of domestic abuse. I am all too aware of the struggle to get free and of the impact domestic abuse has on peoples lives. I talk about domestic abuse every day to someone and I have done for years. I am speaking with residents to support them, charities, groups, survivors every single day and we need change and I hope that I can be part of that change and for that to happen I need people to vote for me for PCC and in Abbey ward Cambridge.

I am a strong domestic abuse campaigner already, In Cambridge City I host an annual domestic abuse conference and chair the domestic abuse community partnership. I know that the key is both education but also increasing the support for support services and the visibility.

I raised a motion at Cambridge city council to imbed domestic abuse policy’s into our workforce including Domestic abuse champions in the workplace which enhances the council domestic abuse house alliance accreditation.

https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/18526

I have written to all neighbouring councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to ask them to do the same, I haven’t yet had a reply.

I have asked Cambridge BID and Peterborough Postive to ask all members to have online safe spaces on their website, to be able to safely highlight where people can go to get support on domestic abuse issues without leaving an online trace.

If elected as PCC I will work with domestic abuse services to get police officers better domestic abuse training, but also by asking officers to link in all people to support services by asking in person if they wish for further support. Something that is done in other forces and has a greater affect on getting support to all victims as opposed to just handing out a leaflet as a tick box exercise.

I will use my voice to get family court magistrates and all magistrates and judges domestic abuse training, as very often the response is far from good enough, as it has been evident in the recent cases that have been taken to court of appeal where family court judges have dismissed parents claims of domestic abuse.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/19/landmark-hearing-to-examine-handling-of-domestic-abuse-cases-by-uk-courts

I will encourage all workplaces to have a domestic abuse policy in the workplace and to have domestic abuse ambassadors to signpost people who may need help and support, domestic abuse effects men and women and it is important that workplaces, sport clubs and others have effective domestic abuse and sexual harassment policies.

https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/news/2020/11/25/council-supports-international-day-for-the-elimination-of-violence-against-women

We need to listen and hear the voices of survivors to make sure the police force and partners are working in a way that help women and men survivors of domestic abuse properly and thoroughly by being approachable and working in partnership with domestic abuse services.

We also need to look at our perpetrator programmes to see if they are working and what more can be done.

The National Stalking Helpline https://www.suzylamplugh.org/Pages/Category/national-stalking-helpline

Victim Support https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/crime-info/types-crime/stalking-and-harassment

Women & Girls Network (supporting those affected by gendered violence) https://www.wgn.org.uk/

Women's Aid https://www.womensaid.org.uk/

White ribbon network End Male violence against women https://www.whiteribbon.org.uk

National Domestic abuse helpline https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Male domestic abuse charity https://www.mankind.org.uk/