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Sky News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
New measure to track pledge to halve violence against women and girls
A new tool for monitoring violence against women and girls (VAWG) has drawn a mixed reaction from campaigners as the government seeks to halve its levels within the next decade. The Office for National Statistics's (ONS) new combined estimate of the prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking in England and Wales will be used as the main measure for assessing Labour's landmark goal. Experts and MPs told Sky News that it was a "welcome sign" ministers are taking the manifesto pledge seriously. But there is concern it doesn't capture all crimes that affect women, including femicide and online misogyny, with the End Violence Against Women coalition suggesting the new metric has been created "for the ease of government". According to new ONS estimates published on Thursday, about one in eight women aged 16 and over in England and Wales were victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking in the year to March. It is the first time an estimate has been made of the combined prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking. The figures use data collected as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Labour MP Jess Asato, who previously worked for domestic abuse charity Safelives, told Sky News this is the "best way" to measure VAWG as not all victims report crime so police figures "don't give a view of the actual prevalence". "This is a really good sign the government is taking this mission very seriously," she said. Ms Asato has recently urged the government to ban "nudification apps", which use artificial intelligence to create fake nude images of people without their consent. The Lowesoft MP said the tools "disproportionately affects girls" and should be seen for what they are - "a tool for facilitating digital sexual assault". It comes amid mounting concern about online misogyny, with MPs warned earlier this summer that deepfake pornography is the next sexual violence epidemic facing schools. Meanwhile Clare Moody, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Joint Lead on Victims and VAWG, wrote an article for Policing Insight today in which she said called tackling VAWG "one of the great societal issues of our time... particularly in a digital era with social media and the online world fuelling so much misogyny and male violence towards women". 'Created for government ease' Rebecca Hitchen, Head of Policy and Campaigns at End Violence Against Women (EVAW), warned the data being used to assess the government's goal fails to capture the full scale of incidents affecting women. The government's own definition of VAWG includes online crimes such as revenge porn and upskirting, as well as honour-based abuse and female genital mutilation. Ms Hitchen said."Our concern is that this measure has been created for the ease of government, rather than trying to truly represent the scale and impact of violence against women and girls. "Questions must be asked about the extent to which this measure may impact on funding decisions, as the government's choice to assess itself on this basis may dictate the direction of resources." 2:39 EVAW are now calling for a consultation to open so that women's groups can discuss with the government how best to measure its commitment. Labour's 2024 manifesto pledged that they would "halve violence against women and girls in a decade" by using "every government tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence". A number of policies have since been announced to tackle what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called a "national emergency". More details about the VAWG strategy and how its progress will be monitored will be set out in September. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "As part of our mission to tackle the national emergency of Violence Against Women and Girls, we have made sure that for the first time the figures are being recorded in a combined way, showing that 1 in 8 women were victims of domestic abuse, stalking or sexual assault last year.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Around one in 10 victims of domestic abuse, stalking or sexual assault
Around one in 10 people aged 16 and over in England and Wales were victims of at least one of the crime types of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking in the year to March, new estimates suggest. The figure is closer to one in eight for women, while for men it is slightly lower at about one in 12. It is the first time an estimate has been made of the combined prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking. The figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using data collected as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales. The survey measures experiences of crime, with domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking referred to as 'crime types' because in some cases a criminal offence may not have occurred. Some 10.6% of all people aged 16 and over are likely to have experienced one or more of these crime types in the year to March 2025, with 12.8% for women and 8.4% for men. The figures equate to an estimated 5.1 million people aged 16 and over in England and Wales, of which 3.2 million are women and nearly 2.0 million are men, the ONS said. A slightly higher estimate of 5.4 million people or 11.3% has been made for the previous 12 months – the year to March 2024 – which equates to 3.4 million women (14.0%) and 2.0 million men (8.6%). The ONS said that because these estimates are still in development and are subject to change, caution should be taken when making comparisons between the two years and is it not possible to say whether the difference is statistically significant. The new estimate of the prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking will be used as the main way for the Government to track its efforts on tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). Ministers have promised to halve levels in a decade, and are expected to set out more details on how the data will be used in its VAWG strategy that will be published later this year. The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
Metro
17-07-2025
- Metro
Model's fury at phone snatchers after they take her mobile twice in three months
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An Australian model is begging London to sort out the spate of phone snatching after she had her mobile stolen twice in three months. Footage shows Emma Van Der Hoek getting her phone wrestled off her by a man in a dark tracksuit who ran away after prizing it out of her hands. She was walking on the corner of Sotheby Road and Highbury Park along the path on her phone when the thief attacked her. Emma tries to chase after the man but he was able to sprint around the corner as another man followed him. She wrote: 'My phone got stolen yesterday in London!!! This is the second time in three months that this has happened – all within my so called 'safe' neighbourhood.' But she was then subject to online abuse, with trolls blaming her for the robbery. Some 78,000 people had phones or bags stolen from them on British streets in the year to March 2024. That is a rise of more than 150% on the 31,000 'snatch thefts' in the 12 months before, according to data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Figures also show that four in five police investigations were closed before a suspect was even found and just 0.8% of 'theft from the person' complaints resulted in a charge. The government has pledged to crackdown on the scourge, with the Home Office saying it will work more closely with tech firms and police chiefs. In this year alone, 213 phones have already been stolen in the City of London. For the same period between 1 January and 30 April last year, there were 294 phone snatching reports. Emma added: 'This video is at nearly 500k views on TikTok and the amount of victim blaming comments is actually insane. 'People have got so used to theft in London that they've started blaming the victims instead of holding criminals accountable. 'If you are one of the boys that stole my phone, return it and I'll delete the video. If anyone's knows anything, please message me!' She is one of thousands of victims in London. While the Met has made significant progress in stopping snatchers, it is clear more needs to be done. This week the Met announced they managed to arrest 10 people involved in phone snatching gangs with their new Flying Squad. On Thursday, 19 June eight men, aged between 20 and 31, and two 17-year-old boys were arrested at addresses in London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery. Detective Chief Inspector Laura Hillier, who is leading the investigation from the Met's Flying Squad, said: 'Phone robbery has boomed globally, and London is not immune. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'There is a concerted effort by criminal gangs to steal phones and sell them overseas as part of a multi-million-pound industry. More Trending 'The Met is catching more of these criminals and operations such as this are vital to disrupting offenders who cause fear and misery to shop workers and communities.' The force also carried out a two week focus at the start of the year, leading to the arrests of 292 people. In footage released by the Metropolitan Police, one plain clothed police officer is seen spotting a phone snatcher, in a dark blue backwards baseball cap and black jacket in Oxford Circus. The thief had targeted an elderly person in the tourist hot spot, but one officer spotted the attack and tackled him to the ground in front of shocked pedestrians. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Ex-UFC fighter in fresh bid for jail pardon after role in £53,000,000 Securitas heist MORE: Dad-of-six told police he was being abused weeks before ex 'stabbed him in heart' MORE: Boy, 11, charged with first-degree murder was wanted over string of other violent crimes
Rhyl Journal
02-07-2025
- Rhyl Journal
Online safety campaign helping to protect children in Wales
The Safer Kids campaign, launched by Get Safe Online in partnership with North Wales Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner, aims to promote safer internet use among young people across North Wales. The scheme, backed by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, targets children who may be spending more unsupervised time online during the summer break. It aims to promote safer internet use (Image: Supplied) Tony Neate, chief executive of Get Safe Online, said: "The internet has so many benefits and for our children to have the opportunity to use it to support their studies, interact with their friends and even to shop, has become second nature. "However, as with so many other things they do, it's really important that they do so safely. "Our campaign this month focuses on key advice to help kids enjoy a safe and happy experience on the internet." The campaign delivers practical advice to children and parents, including the importance of open conversations about internet safety, using parental controls, and encouraging the use of child-friendly apps and platforms. Mr Dunbobbin said: "Supporting victims and communities across North Wales is a priority in my plan to reduce crime in North Wales and our children and young people lie at the heart of a safe society. "They are what we hold most precious. "As we head into the summer holidays, it is therefore vital we do all we can to ensure our children and young people stay safe online. "As parents and guardians, summer can be a difficult time juggling childcare with work, looking after the home, and seeing to other family members. "This means children can be sometimes less supervised than when at school and that's why advice like that from Get Safe Online is so important at this time." The campaign delivers practical advice to children and parents (Image: Supplied) PC Dewi Owen from North Wales Police's cyber crime team said that while going online offers children opportunities to socialise and learn, it also comes with risks. He said: "For many children and youngsters spending time online is a very important part of their lives. "It's an opportunity to socialise, have fun and relax and to be creative and learn about new things. "However, spending time online can also expose youngsters to bullying, inappropriate content or comments, or risks associated with stranger contact." National figures underline the need for the campaign. The 10- to 15-year-olds' Crime Survey for England and Wales found that 92.6 per cent of children go online every day, with 58.1 per cent spending three or more hours online during a typical school day. The campaign also highlights that more than a third of children have accepted friend requests from strangers. Mr Neate said that parental engagement is vital. He said: "We therefore encourage parents to show an interest in their children's online activities and to have open conversations with them to find out more about which apps they use and which websites they visit and what sorts of things they do on there." Full guidance and resources are available online.
Leader Live
01-07-2025
- Leader Live
Online safety campaign helping to protect children in Wales
The Safer Kids campaign, launched by Get Safe Online in partnership with North Wales Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner, aims to promote safer internet use among young people across North Wales. The scheme, backed by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, targets children who may be spending more unsupervised time online during the summer break. It aims to promote safer internet use (Image: Supplied) Tony Neate, chief executive of Get Safe Online, said: "The internet has so many benefits and for our children to have the opportunity to use it to support their studies, interact with their friends and even to shop, has become second nature. "However, as with so many other things they do, it's really important that they do so safely. "Our campaign this month focuses on key advice to help kids enjoy a safe and happy experience on the internet." The campaign delivers practical advice to children and parents, including the importance of open conversations about internet safety, using parental controls, and encouraging the use of child-friendly apps and platforms. Mr Dunbobbin said: "Supporting victims and communities across North Wales is a priority in my plan to reduce crime in North Wales and our children and young people lie at the heart of a safe society. "They are what we hold most precious. "As we head into the summer holidays, it is therefore vital we do all we can to ensure our children and young people stay safe online. "As parents and guardians, summer can be a difficult time juggling childcare with work, looking after the home, and seeing to other family members. "This means children can be sometimes less supervised than when at school and that's why advice like that from Get Safe Online is so important at this time." The campaign delivers practical advice to children and parents (Image: Supplied) PC Dewi Owen from North Wales Police's cyber crime team said that while going online offers children opportunities to socialise and learn, it also comes with risks. He said: "For many children and youngsters spending time online is a very important part of their lives. "It's an opportunity to socialise, have fun and relax and to be creative and learn about new things. "However, spending time online can also expose youngsters to bullying, inappropriate content or comments, or risks associated with stranger contact." National figures underline the need for the campaign. The 10- to 15-year-olds' Crime Survey for England and Wales found that 92.6 per cent of children go online every day, with 58.1 per cent spending three or more hours online during a typical school day. The campaign also highlights that more than a third of children have accepted friend requests from strangers. Mr Neate said that parental engagement is vital. He said: "We therefore encourage parents to show an interest in their children's online activities and to have open conversations with them to find out more about which apps they use and which websites they visit and what sorts of things they do on there." Full guidance and resources are available online.
