An article examined victims' and offenders' perceptions of two restorative justice initiatives at Magilligan prison in Northern Ireland. It said that victims' perceptions of procedural fairness were encouraged through engagement with the programme, while offenders reported a shift in their perceptions around victims and sentencing. The article concluded that there was strong evidence to support the promotion of such initiatives within custodial settings.
Source: Trevor Barr, 'Putting victims in prison', Restorative Justice, Volume 1 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
The government published a white paper on modern slavery, incorporating a draft bill that was designed to: consolidate and simplify existing slavery and trafficking offences; increase the maximum sentence available; introduce Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders and Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders; create a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner role; and establish a legal duty to report potential victims of trafficking to the National Crime Agency. The Home Secretary announced that the draft bill would be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny, with the aim of publishing a Bill in the spring of 2014. The pre-legislative process would be informed by the work of the Modern Slavery Bill Evidence Review, whose report was published at the same time.
Source: Draft Modern Slavery Bill, Cm 8770, Home Office, TSO
Links: Draft bill | Modern Slavery Bill Evidence Review | Home Office press release | ACPO press release | Barnardo's press release | Children's Society press release | Evangelical Alliance press release | Guardian report
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the nature and value of victim awareness work by probation services in England and Wales. It discussed the rationale, definition, and empirical basis of the concept, and the practical implications, before suggesting a possible model.
Source: Jacky Burrows, 'Victim awareness: re-examining a probation fundamental', Probation Journal, Volume 60 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
The Scottish Parliament approved a Bill designed to provide rights and support for victims and witnesses, including provision for implementing Directive 2012/29/European Union of the European Parliament and the Council; and to establish a committee of the Mental Welfare Commission with functions relating to people who were placed in institutional care as children.
Source: Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Government, TSO | Scottish Parliament Debate 12 December 2013, columns 25778-25798, Official Report, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | Official Report
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the treatment of restorative justice and, more particularly, victims' rights in the European Union Victims Directive. It said that the Directive had improved the rights of victims, but was focused on their protection from revictimization and repercussions as they engaged in restorative justice processes. The article discussed the principle of equal access in the context of the Directive.
Source: Katrien Lauwaert, 'Restorative justice in the 2012 EU Victims Directive: a right to quality service, but no right to equal access for victims of crime', Restorative Justice, Volume 1 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
The equality and human rights watchdog published a report outlining the steps agencies had taken to address disability related harassment between 2012 and 2013. It said that some public bodies had made progress and that many of the recommendations in the Commission's Manifesto for Change (published in 2012) had been adopted, but more needed to be done. It said the Commission particularly welcomed a more victim-focused approach, and measures to prevent reoffending.
Source: Manifesto for Change: Progress report 2013, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | EHRC press release
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the preference for civil, rather than criminal, measures as the policy approach for dealing with forced marriage. One explanation for this was the influence of multiculturalism. Another was the limited conception of the harms of forced marriage apparent in much government discourse. The author raised the question of whether, in adopting a civil remedy approach, the state might be affording some women less protection of their human rights than others.
Source: Kaye Quek, 'A civil rather than criminal offence? Forced marriage, harm and the politics of multiculturalism in the UK', British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Volume 15 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the practice of family mediators in screening for domestic violence cases during Mediation Information Assessment Meetings. MIAMs were introduced following the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act of 2012 as a means of bringing separating couples together to discuss legal disputes. The meeting also assessed eligibility for legal aid funding, including funding on the grounds of domestic violence or abuse. Drawing on a small scale study, the article suggested that, although the observed mediators screened for domestic violence, the question of the effectiveness of that screening remained unanswered.
Source: Paulette Morris, 'Mediation, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act of 2012 and the mediation information assessment meeting', Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, Volume 35 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Nov
The European Commission issued a communication setting out a series of actions to work towards the elimination of female genital mutilation. It reiterated the European Union's commitment to ending both violence against women and FGM.
Source: Towards the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, European Commission
Links: Communication | European Commission press release
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined sexual violence towards, and exploitation of, young people in gang-associated areas in England. It said that there were significant levels of such harm occurring, with young women at particular risk. Victims were often held culpable for the harm they experienced, and attacks were not being reported or adequately identified. The report made recommendations.
Source: Helen Beckett, Isabelle Brodie, Fiona Factor, Margaret Melrose, Jenny Pearce, John Pitts, Lucie Shuker, and Camille Warrington, It s wrong... but you get used to it : A qualitative study of gang-associated sexual violence towards, and exploitation of, young people in England, Office of the Children's Commissioner
Links: Report | OCC press release | University of Bedfordshire press release | 4Children press release | ACPO press release | NSPCC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2013-Nov
An article examined adolescent to parent violence cases reported to the police. It examined victim, offender and incident characteristics from 1892 cases, most of which involved violence against the person or criminal damage in the home. The study found that the majority of offenders were male, and over 75 per cent of victims were female.
Source: Rachel Condry and Caroline Miles, 'Adolescent to parent violence: framing and mapping a hidden problem', Criminology and Criminal Justice, Online first
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined young people's understanding of sexual consent. It said their understanding was characterized by confused thinking, particularly around what constituted rape and the culpability of victims. There were clear differences in attitudes and approaches between and towards the genders. It said that young people needed better information about sex and relationships, co-ordinated within the educational setting.
Source: Maddy Coy, Liz Kelly, Fiona Elvines, Maria Garner, and Ava Kanyeredzi, Sex Without Consent, I Suppose that is Rape : How young people in England understand sexual consent, Office of the Children's Commissioner
Links: Report | OCC press release | 4Children press release | ACPO press release | NSPCC press release
Date: 2013-Nov
An article examined the views of people with intellectual disabilities regarding abuse. It said that they expressed a range of views and some revealed strong emotions. It concluded that people with intellectual disabilities could discuss their feelings on the topic, and could recognize its impact, but there was a need to improve further the approaches to disclosure and its consequences.
Source: Ruth Northway, Melissa Melsome, Samantha Flood, Davey Bennett, Joyce Howarth, and Becki Thomas, 'How do people with intellectual disabilities view abuse and abusers?', Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, Volume 17 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Nov
A serious case review was published by the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board into the case of Hamzah Khan, who died in 2009 at the age of 4 as a result of parental neglect.
Source: A Serious Case Review: Hamzah Khan – the overview report, Bradford Safeguarding Children Board
Links: Report | Summary | Learning and Improvement Report | Statement from Chair of BSCB | Statement from Chair of SCR | Letter from DoE to BSCB Chair | NSPCC press release | Action for Children press release | 4Children press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2013-Nov
A survey examined awareness of issues surrounding child sexual exploitation and the roles of parents, schools and other professionals in keeping children safe. The report noted that mobile phones, rather than computers, were a primary tool used in exploitation attempts. It said that parents had a key role in safeguarding their children, and should be enabled to be more involved.
Source: Are Parents in the Picture? Professional and parental perspectives of child sexual exploitation, YouGov
Links: Report | Pace comment | NSPCC press release
Date: 2013-Nov
The children's watchdog for England said that there was evidence to demonstrate that children were victims of sexual predation in gangs and groups. It said that, although it had found pockets of good practice, there were serious gaps in the knowledge, practice and services required to protect children.
Source: If Only Someone had Listened : Office of the Children s Commissioner s inquiry into child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups – final report, Office of the Children's Commissioner
Links: Report | OCC press release | 4Children press release | ACPO press release | Children's Society press release | NSPCC press release | BBC report
Date: 2013-Nov
A report evaluated a 15 month pilot of domestic violence protection orders. DVPOs were introduced by the Crime and Security Act 2010 to provide immediate protection for victim-survivors by enabling police to issue a domestic violence prevention notice to place 48 hour restrictions on the perpetrator. This was then followed by a DVPO, issued by the magistrates court, for between 14 and 28 days. The report supported a wider roll out of DVPOs, but recommended procedural refinements and identified training needs. It recommended that primary legislation should be considered, to lengthen DVPNs from 48 hours to between 4 and 7 days, as well as to criminalize breaches of DVPOs.
Source: Liz Kelly, Joanna Adler, Miranda Horvath, Jo Lovett, Mark Coulson, David Kernohan, Mark Gray, Joseph Hillier, and Sian Nicholas, Evaluation of the Pilot of Domestic Violence Protection Orders, Research Report 76, Home Office
Links: Report | Hansard (Written statement)
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined the Riot (Damages) Act, which required the police to pay compensation to those whose property was damaged in a riot. The report noted that the Act was passed in 1886 and that some aspects of it, including definitions, needed to be modernized. It recommended that the principle of police accountability for riot damage should be retained in new legislation to replace the existing Act. It also said that insurers should continue to receive compensation, but that compensation should be capped. It recommended that the Home Office should make administrative preparations for any future riots, including setting up a unit to handle compensation claims.
Source: Neil Kinghan, Independent Review of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886: Report of the review, Home Office
Links: Report | Home Office press release
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined the prevalence of, prevention of, protection against, prosecution for, and provision of services related to female genital mutilation in European Union countries.
Source: European Institute for Gender Equality, Female Genital Mutilation in the European Union and Croatia, European Union
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Nov
An article examined mental health professionals' knowledge of, and attitudes to, domestic violence, and their preparedness to respond to disclosures by service users. It said that few professionals routinely asked service users about the topic, and most thought they lacked adequate knowledge of support services. It concluded that there was a need for training to improve knowledge and competencies, and for clearer pathways of referral to specialist services.
Source: Sarah Nyame, Louise Howard, Gene Feder, and Kylee Trevillion, 'A survey of mental health professionals' knowledge, attitudes and preparedness to respond to domestic violence', Journal of Mental Health, Volume 22 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined the impact of funding cuts on specialist domestic violence support services. It said that there had been a move towards commissioning generalist, non-specialist services, with notable losses of both targeted refuge provision and longer term, community-based work. It noted regional variations in the loss of services, and the potential impact on the statutory services. The report called for local commissioners to work with specialist providers in making best use of available resources.
Source: Katy Taylor, A Growing Crisis of Unmet Need: What the figures alone don t show you, Women's Aid Federation of England
Links: Report | WAF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2013-Nov
A coalition of Royal Colleges, trade unions and Equality Now published a report examining the issues surrounding female genital mutilation. The report said that a comprehensive multi-agency action plan was urgently required to ensure that girls were protected by the existing United Kingdom legal framework. The report's recommendations included that FGM should be treated as child abuse, with frontline professionals held accountable against agreed standards.
Source: RCM, RCN, RCOG, Equality Now, and UNITE, Tackling FGM in the UK: Intercollegiate recommendations for identifying, recording, and reporting, Royal College of Midwives
Links: Report | Joint press release | BBC report
Date: 2013-Nov
A report evaluated the domestic violence disclosure scheme pilots. The pilots aimed to introduce a consistent process for the use of existing police powers to disclose information to an individual about previous violent offending by their partner. The report raised issues around the police process, low public awareness and understanding, and low awareness of the scheme amongst some frontline police officers. It identified a need for guidance to support greater consistency across different local areas, and for support for those who received a disclosure. The report made recommendations.
Source: Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) Pilot Assessment, Home Office
Links: Report | Hansard (Written statement) | Women's Aid press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2013-Nov
A report examined how sexual violence and abuse was addressed by the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. The report said that, since a previous inspection three years ago, the importance of sexual violence and abuse and awareness of the issue had increased. Seven of the original inspection recommendations were assessed as achieved; three had been partially achieved; and two were not achieved.
Source: Sexual Violence and Abuse: A follow-up review of inspection recommendations, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland
Links: Report | Press release
Date: 2013-Oct
A study examined the experiences of victims and witnesses within the criminal justice system. Victims and witnesses expressed anxiety and uncertainty around the process, a lack of opportunity to express the impact of the crime, and a perception of a lack of legal representation. Researchers found that victims also reported positive experiences including the support received from the Witness Service and criminal justice agencies. Recommendations included: better co-ordination of public spaces in the court; the avoidance of delays in process; and better communication with victims and witnesses.
Source: Gillian Hunter, Jessica Jacobson, and Amy Kirby, Out of the Shadows: Victims' and witnesses' experiences of attending the Crown Court, Victim Support
Links: Report | Victim Support press release
Date: 2013-Oct
A study found that people with mental health problems were more likely to be a victim of crime than the general population, more likely to be a victim of assault, and more likely to be a repeat victim. In addition, the study found that people with mental health problems were less likely to be satisfied with the service they received from within the criminal justice system.
Source: Bridget Pettitt, Sian Greenhead, Hind Khalifeh, Vari Drennan, Tina Hart, Jo Hogg, Rohan Borschmann, Emma Mamo, and Paul Moran, At Risk, Yet Dismissed: The criminal victimisation of people with mental health problems, Victim Support/Mind
Links: Report | Mind press release | Victim Support press release | BBC report | ACPO press release | Turning Point press release | CMH press release
Date: 2013-Oct
An article examined how African, Caribbean and White British women worked to hide psychological partner abuse. The paper noted that appropriate advice and support could make a difference to women in this situation.
Source: Carol Rivas, Moira Kelly, and Gene Feder, 'Drawing the line: how African, Caribbean and White British women live out psychologically abusive experiences', Violence Against Women, Volume 19 Number 9
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Oct
A new book examined how restorative conferences were used as part of the 'justice ritual'. The work developed a statistical model of the ritual elements of restorative justice and considered how these rituals might impact reoffending.
Source: Meredith Rossner, Just Emotions: Rituals of restorative justice, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Oct
An article examined the management of hate crime in the South West of England, looking at the implementation of hate crime policy across agencies. The research found some good practice and effective multi-agency working, alongside evidence of policy drift both between and within agencies.
Source: Zoe James and Lesley Simmonds, 'Exploring prejudice: managing hate crime in the South West of England', Crime Prevention & Community Safety, Volume 15 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Oct
Campaigners published a report examining homophobic hate crime and incidents. One in six lesbian, gay, and bisexual people had experienced a hate crime or incident in the previous three years. The report noted that fewer than one-quarter of victims reported the incident to the police and two thirds did not report it to anyone. A guidance document was also published for issue to all police forces.
Source: April Guasp, Anne Gammon, and Gavin Ellison, Homophobic Hate Crime: The Gay British Crime Survey 2013, Stonewall
Links: Report | Guide | Stonewall press release | Guardian report
Date: 2013-Oct
A report examined human trafficking in London.
Source: Andrew Boff, Shadow City: Exposing human trafficking in everyday London, Greater London Authority Conservatives
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Oct
A government report provided an assessment of human trafficking in the United Kingdom.
Source: Second Report of the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking, Cm 8731, Home Office, TSO
Links: Report | Home Office press release
Date: 2013-Oct
A report provided baseline data for England and Wales and, where available, for Scotland, in respect of six measures of disability-related crime, together with follow-up data that showed changes over time. The six measures were: number of victims of hate crimes; proportion of disability-related crime incidents reported to the police; reasons why the police did not come to know about the matter; satisfaction with police handling of crime incidents; experience of any crime in the previous 12 months; and worry about being a victim of crime. Further data analysis was planned to take place in two and four years' time.
Source: Nick Coleman, Wendy Sykes, and Alison Walker, Crime and Disabled People: Baseline statistical analysis of measures from the formal legal inquiry into disability-related harassment, Research Report 90, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | Supplementary files
Date: 2013-Oct
The government published a summary of responses to a consultation on improving the code of practice for victims of crime.
Source: Improving the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, Ministry of Justice
Links: Consultation responses
Date: 2013-Oct
A government department published a new code of practice for victims of crime. The new code would come into force in December 2013 and included the right for victims to present their own 'victim personal statement' in court, and to receive information about restorative justice.
Source: Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, Ministry of Justice
Links: Code of Practice | MOJ press release | BBC report | Women's Aid press release | Victim Support comment
Date: 2013-Oct
An inspectorate report examined how domestic violence and abuse was addressed by the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. The report said that differences in practice and approach still remained between different Police Service of Northern Ireland officers and districts, despite the PSNI domestic incident policy aimed at fostering a consistent approach. The report noted increased reporting of instances of domestic violence and abuse, but that detection rates had fallen. The report called for victims to be adequately supported and placed at the centre of the criminal justice process.
Source: Domestic Violence and Abuse: A follow-up review of inspection recommendations, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland
Links: Report | CJINI press release
Date: 2013-Oct
A report by a committee of MSPs said that communications between criminal justice organizations and victims and witnesses needed to be improved.
Source: Stage 1 Report on the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill, 7th Report 2013, SP Paper 332, Scottish Parliament Justice Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release
Date: 2013-Jun
An article examined victims' perceptions of a restorative justice process, implemented as victim-offender mediation. Victim satisfaction remained high throughout the review, consistent with previous research.
Source: Jac Armstrong, 'Factors contributing to victims' satisfaction with restorative justice practice: a qualitative examination', British Journal of Community Justice, Volume 10 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Feb