Local authority leaders have called on the Government to provide councils with the ‘resources’ needed to fund early intervention services aimed at preventing domestic abuse.
Cllr Simon Blackburn, chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, made the call in response to the introduction today of the Domestic Abuse Bill to Parliament.
The draft Bill is the first statutory definition of domestic abuse to include economic, and controlling and manipulative non-physical abuse.
If passed, it will establish a Domestic Abuse Commissioner, and Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will be introduced to protect victims and place restrictions on the actions of offenders.
The Bill will also prohibit the cross-examination of victims by their abusers in family courts and will provide automatic eligibility for special measures to support more victims to give evidence in criminal courts.
'Domestic abuse can take many forms, from horrific physical violence to coercive behaviour that robs people of their self-esteem, their freedom and their right to feel safe in their own homes, but the immense bravery I’ve seen demonstrated by survivors is consistent throughout,' said Theresa May.
'We have a duty not only to bring the perpetrators of these vile crimes to justice, but to support victims as they rebuild their lives. This Bill will help us do just that and represents a true step-change in our approach.
'It couldn’t have happened without the victims, charities, campaign groups and frontline agencies who have worked alongside government to ensure we get this right, and as we reflect on reaching this important milestone together I want to express my thanks to them once more.'
Cllr Blackburn said that councils take domestic abuse ‘very seriously’ and support the greater focus on prevention and early intervention.
However, he urged the Prime Minister to ensure that the Bill’s new measures were properly funded.
‘The ability of councils to fund services for victims is limited by significant pressures on their budgets, with local authorities increasingly being forced to prioritise spending for those at immediate risk of harm, rather than on vital earlier support services and prevention schemes which help stop domestic abuse occurring in the first place,’ he said.
‘With local government facing an £8bn funding gap by 2025, any legislative changes in this Bill must be matched with adequate resources and funding which the new Prime Minister needs to address in the Spending Review.’
