Spokesperson for the London Assembly Domestic Abusers Register campaign, Len Duvall AM said:
“The Government says it’s taking this awful crime seriously but we could have seen them going much further – not least with the creation of a Domestic Abusers Register and properly funded support services for survivors. Here on the Assembly there is cross-party consensus that the law must monitor serial abusers who harm victims, and in some cases their children.
“The number of cases of domestic abuse in London and around the country which have ended in murder is staggering. Almost half of the homicides in London this year have been related to
domestic abuse. A Register of serial offenders would help to minimise violence and loss of life in the future.
“It has become clear that Clare’s Law does not do the job sufficiently, so adding more teeth to that law is welcome – but that has to be supported by better funding.
“The draft bill legislates that police will have a duty to provide men and women with the criminal background of a potential abuser. Anything that puts the emphasis back on the criminal rather than the survivors is a step in the right direction. But monitoring serial abusers on a physical register would be the most effective way of combatting this crime.
“Ultimately, we must stop deaths and protect the men, women and children who suffer violence in their own home on a daily basis.”
Related documents
Domestic Abusers Register Report
Notes to editors
- Police say there were 84,150 domestic abuse offences in the 12 months to November 2018, compared with 77,584 for the previous 12-month period, a rise of 8.4 per cent.
- Read the report from Len Duvall AM attached - Domestic Abusers Register
- Len Duvall AM is available for interview – see contact details below.
- In September 2017, Assembly Members supported a unanimous motion to seek legislative change to allow for the establishment of a register of domestic abuse offenders. The Assembly recommends that the system could work in the same way as the sex offenders’ register, allowing police to hold information on perpetrators in order to better protect survivors.
- All 73 London MPs received a cross party letter from the London Assembly to enlist their support for a Domestic Abusers Register.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
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