Women’s Aid has welcomed new vetting reforms announced by the Home Office but warned that they fall short of the full systemic transformation needed to ensure safety and justice for survivors of domestic abuse.
The reforms aim to strengthen police vetting procedures and give forces more power to dismiss officers whose behaviour renders them unfit for duty. The announcement comes amid growing concerns over the number of officers with histories of misconduct, including those accused of violence against women and girls, who remain in service. Isabelle Younane, Head of External Affairs at Women’s Aid, responded to the announcement, stating:
“It is crucial for women to feel safe when reporting abuse of any kind to the police, but with poor vetting practices allowing dangerous perpetrators into ranks, it is impossible for survivors to trust that they will be.”
While the reforms mark a step in the right direction, Younane emphasised that much more needs to be done to rebuild trust in policing and ensure the safety of women and girls. She said:
“Women’s Aid welcome the reforms announced by the Home Office today, which will boost vetting standards and allow forces to dismiss officers whose behaviours makes them unsuitable for duty. However, we continue to urge for more action to be taken to transform policing into a safe institution for all.”
Younane pointed to the importance of rigorous, proactive vetting that stops individuals with misogynistic beliefs from entering police ranks in the first place. She added:
“Rigorous vetting processes need to be established so that individuals with the misogynistic attitudes and beliefs that underpin violence against women and girls aren’t able to pass in the first place, blocking them from ever being in police ranks.”
Women’s Aid also expressed strong support for the recommendations made by both HMICFRS and the Angiolini Inquiry, which focus on vetting, recruitment, misconduct, and tackling misogyny in policing. They are calling for the urgent implementation of all proposals.
Additionally, Younane highlighted the 12-point plan by the Centre for Women’s Justice, which outlines necessary actions to address police-perpetrated domestic abuse. This includes ensuring criminal investigations into police perpetrators are conducted externally, not internally.
“As it stands only 1 in 5 survivors report domestic abuse to the police, and far less receive justice. This is totally unacceptable and needs to change. Until we see full reform, with proper monitoring from the Home Office to ensure accountability, survivors cannot be confident in reporting abuse to the police, and justice will continue to go unserved.”
Younane concluded by stressing that reform cannot be limited to the criminal justice system alone. A wider, cross-departmental approach is necessary to truly meet the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade. She said:
“It must also be acknowledged that the achievement of the Government’s commitment to halve VAWG in a decade will require a whole-system, cross-departmental approach that goes beyond criminal justice outcomes. This is not least because many survivors – despite positive reforms to policing and the courts – may never choose to pursue legal avenues.”
We await funded commitments from other Government departments beyond the Home Office and Ministry of Justice – including from MHCLG on housing, Department for Education on prevention, and from DHSC on health – as part of the upcoming and long-awaited refreshed VAWG strategy in the summer.”
