Domestic Abuse News Roundup: w/c 20th June 2022

⚖️ Non-fatal strangulation law takes effect

Abusers who strangle their victims in an attempt to control or induce fear will face up to 5 years behind bars in England and Wales. Thousands of women experience non-fatal strangulation every year, and every two weeks, a woman is killed by strangulation.

This is why non-fatal strangulation is a known high risk indicator when assessing risk of domestic abuse and homicide, and as such, non-fatal strangulation was made a specific offence in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

🧠 Pre-recorded cross examination for victims of rape.

Special measures schemes have been extended to provide victims of rape the chance to have their cross examination pre-recorded, to reduce the risk of secondary trauma of being cross examined during a live court case.

The move follows successful implementation of similar schemes for other vulnerable victims, with more than 2,500 witnesses having already benefitted from the technology since August 2020.

The scheme currently runs in 37 Crown Courts across England, with the Government pledging to have all Crown Courts running the scheme by September 2022.

🏳️‍🌈 New short film about older LGBTQ+ victims

Domestic abuse is already hidden, but when it’s happening to people from the LGBTQ+ community, it is hidden further, and when these victims are elderly, it is almost invisible. Those over 75 were only counted in official DA statistics in 2021.

When discrimination as a result of these individual protected characteristics is combined, it is easy to see why older people from the LGBTQ+ community are far less likely to seek support, and those who do are far less likely to receive it.

This pride month, new short film “Do You See Me” aims to shine a light on the issue.

TAKE ACTION:

📺 Watch “Do You See Me” – it’s 6 minutes long.

Sources: The Independent, BBC News, The Telegraph

Your weekly domestic abuse news roundup was curated by our volunteer Carlie Taylor ✨