Specialist Teams and Online Investigators to Tackle National Emergency of Violence Against Women and Girls
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced the deployment of specialist investigation teams focused on rape and sexual offences across England and Wales, as the government declares violence against women and girls a national emergency. These teams are planned to be established in all forces by 2029 as part of Labour's Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, which is due to be launched later this week.
In addition, Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) will be introduced nationwide. These orders cover economic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, stalking, and honour-based abuse, with breaches carrying penalties of up to five years in prison.
Nearly £2 million has been allocated to fund a network of online and offender-targeting officers who will use covert and intelligence-based techniques to combat online VAWG. This initiative builds on the Home Office's existing undercover network for child sexual abuse which has arrested over 1,700 perpetrators.
These measures complement existing policies such as facial recognition technology to identify offenders, enhanced protections for stalking victims, criminalising strangulation, and the placement of domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms.
Labour's manifesto includes a pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. The government describes the new measures as crucial to holding abusers accountable, emphasizing that rapists, sex offenders, and abusers will have nowhere to hide.
However, the Conservative Party has criticised Labour for delays in implementing the strategy, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accusing Labour of failing women and breaking promises.
Shabana Mahmood will discuss these initiatives further in an appearance on Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips at 8:30am.
