Domestic abuse news roundup: w/c 6th February 2023

⚖️ New laws to limit economic abuse

New laws protecting parents who use CMS (Child Maintenance Service) from abusive ex partners, are to be introduced following an independent review.

Survivors to have choice to let CMS collect and make payments on their behalf. They won’t need to contact their ex nor do they require their ex’s consent if there is evidence of domestic abuse. This will help prevent abusers from using child maintenance as a form of ongoing financial abuse & control, which is very common.

CMS will have new powers to report suspected financial abuse to the CPS to bring abusers to justice. Domestic abuse training for staff is also being improved.

🏝️ Love Island owes more clarity to teens

Gaslighting, manipulation and controlling behaviour: these were red flags millions watched unfolding on their screens during last summer’s Love Island season.

After complaints from women’s organisations, ITV enhanced training and support for contestants around being mutually respectful in relationships and around controlling and coercive behaviour before going on the show. However women’s organisations are also highlighting ITV’s duty of care to viewers, ensuring it’s made clear when abusive patterns are playing out on screen.

Shows like Love Island present a huge opportunity to have a discussion as a society on what a healthy relationship looks like, especially as it’s watched by a majority of young people who are themselves starting romantic relationships.

👮‍♂️ WEP’s new campaign exposes more police misogyny

The Women’s Equality Party (WEP) have launched an online campaign #RottenToTheCore to expose the police’s institutional misogyny as former police officer and one of the worst sex offenders in modern history, David Carrick, is sentenced.

On Monday 6th February, the WEP projected survivors’ testimonials of misconduct and misogyny from police officers onto New Scotland Yard’s building. Some of these read “You’re going to destroy a decent bloke and his family over this”, “Are you sure you just can’t handle male attention?”

Mandu Reid, WEP’s leader says “Policing as we know it in this country cannot continue. We need to start again. Women’s trust in police has collapsed, and policing by consent cannot exist without trust.”

TAKE ACTION:

📱Follow @makeitmandatory on Instagram and sign their campaign petition to make learning about domestic abuse and coercive control mandatory in Sixth Form

🚩 Read through our Does It Feel Wrong awareness campaign and share it with young people you know

🗣 Follow the Women’s Equality Party on Instagram: @wep_uk to watch their #RottenToTheCore campaign via their profile

Your weekly domestic abuse news round up was curated by SATEDA’s volunteer Ellie Arnott

Sources: Gov.uk, Metro, Women’s Equality Party