APCC Victims' Leads respond to article in The Times
In response to the comments in today’s Times article from West Midlands Chief Constable, Dave Thompson, APCC Victims Leads Sophie Linden (MOPAC Deputy Mayor) and Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner and Chair of IDAS (Yorkshire Domestic Abuse Charity) have stated:
“It is critical that domestic abuse victims have full confidence to come forward and report abuse to police – and that the police then respond swiftly and investigate. It is deeply unhelpful that CC Thompson has suggested some domestic abuse and harassment cases fall outside of police matters, as such a position risks creating confusion and doubt in the minds of victims. These are absolutely matters for policing. Indeed, tackling domestic abuse remains a priority for Police and Crime Commissioners and features prominently in most Police and Crime Plans.
“In our oversight role of policing, and in our role as commissioners of support services for victims, PCCs remain committed to ensuring that domestic abuse victims receive a swift and effective policing response, as well as specialist support. This combination helps build victim confidence to report abuse, and then to cope with and recover from their ordeal. We will continue to work closely with our chief constables and with victims’ groups to ensure this is in place.”