Vera Baird QC, an odious radical feminist, is the Victims’ Commissioner – she never gives a damn about male victims, of course – and won our Toxic Feminist of the Month award in January 2016. A piece by her in yesterday’s Times, I’ve added “ALLEGED” or “ALLEGEDLY” where she omitted it.
Domestic abuse is about coercive control. When the ALLEGED victim tries to get away, the ALLEGED perpetrator tightens his grip [J4MB emphasis] and adds extra force. So complaining to police of ALLEGED domestic abuse increases the risk of worse violence.
That risk has to be properly managed. The higher the chance of the ALLEGED victim getting help, from officers and from the courts, the more desperately the ALLEGED violence can escalate. Many domestic murders are committed while the couple are separating and afterwards.
Reporting an ALLEGED abusive partner to the police is an act of immense bravery but it is a vulnerable time. Police officers need all their powers to keep such complainants safe.
It is urgent we address the impact of the changes to pre-charge bail legislation in 2017. They massively changed the police culture to a virtual assumption of the release of defendants “under investigation” with no limits on their movements.
This has to be reversed and some steps have already been taken to do so but reversing such a huge change in policing culture without quick, strong legislation is going to be like turning an ocean liner.
Austerity measures may have added to a trend of making police reluctant to execute a costly arrest and preferring to bring defendants in as voluntary attenders, let alone manage a suspect through bail measures. The danger is that this can leave a domestic abuse complainant totally exposed.
Risk assessments show levels of danger, but no risk assessment is likely to show zero risk. Specific tailored protections must follow. If they not we will see more tragedies, with domestic homicides this year at their highest level ever. And we will discourage brave ALLEGED victims from reporting if understanding that doing so is dangerous they cannot be given strong protection.
If the case does reach a charge, ALLEGED abusers sometimes try to manipulate their ALLEGED victim into patching things up or scare them into not appearing in court, another reason for bail terms that keep them apart. These need to be discussed with the ALLEGED victim too.
We must instil confidence in ALLEGED victims to come forward and stick with their case. It is a scandal that bail law was ever changed to risk exposing such people.
It is a scandal that bail law ever changed to risk exposing such people, an unforeseen consequence to the public authorities which the domestic abuse charities gave clear warning.
With others I am proposing an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill to include a presumption of bail in every ALLEGED domestic or sexual abuse case. [J4MB emphasis] There is not a day to spare if we are to avoid putting already ALLEGEDLY abused victims and children at further risk when they report a ALLEGED crime and ask for our help.
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