Women's Views on News |
| Petition: domestic abuse is gender specific Posted: 18 Mar 2015 07:03 AM PDT
Durham's Police and Crime Commissioner, Ron Hogg, has decided to amend priorities in the Police and Crime Plan for 2015-2017. He says domestic abuse; "is not a gender specific crime and male victims should not be overlooked" and wants to amend the priority to; "make sure it is clear that it encompasses the entire scope of domestic abuse and all victims within that." The suggested change is from: "To reduce the impact of domestic abuse, particularly violence against women and girls" to: "To reduce the incidence and impact of domestic abuse in all its forms". Official figures show that, between 2002 and 2012, 93.9 per cent of adults who were convicted of murder in the UK, were men. Men who kill women are likely to have been perpetrators of violence against women for years – domestic violence has a higher rate of repeat victimisation than any other crime. Those few women who do kill men are likely to have been repeatedly abused by them. Two women a week die at the hands of a current or former partner. This is why the main focus of any domestic abuse strategy needs to be on violence against women. This is why the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner should not degender the official approach to domestic abuse. Refuge funding in the Durham area has been cut by 60 per cent in the last two years. These services are essential for women and children fleeing violent situations. According to the Women's Aid survey 2013-14, on just one day in 2014, 112 UK women and 84 children were turned away from refuges because they could not be accommodated, and 369 women were denied help from outreach services in the community. Lives are lost every year because of lack of funding. We want assurance that Durham and Darlington refuges will suffer no further funding cuts, and that more funds will be available for women's refuges and women's service providers. Call on Ron Hogg to make women and girls central to plans to tackle domestic abuse in Durham's Police and Crime Plan for 2015-17, and to make more funds available for women's refuges and women's service providers. Women are disproportionately affected by domestic violence, a gendered crime that needs gender-sensitive policies to address it properly. Please sign the petition to make women and girls central to plans to tackle domestic violence in Durham's Police and Crime Plan for 2015-17 and to make more funds available for women's refuges and women's service providers.  |
| Help offer for victims of revenge porn Posted: 18 Mar 2015 06:28 AM PDT
Victims of revenge porn can now apply for free legal advice through a new service offered by the School of Law at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Victims will receive legal advice from a team of trained student advisors – under the supervision of experienced, qualified lawyers – at QMUL's Legal Advice Centre. SPITE (Sharing and Publishing Images to Embarrass) is a free legal advice service provided to anyone who has been a victim of ‘revenge porn’, or subjected to the ‘sharing and publication of images to embarrass’ by another individual. The term ‘revenge porn’ is the one commonly used, but not all images published are pornographic, and those who have been subjected to the publication of intimate images should not feel ashamed in seeking advice. With social media and the immediacy of phone apps, images can be uploaded and spread in an instant – none of which is the fault of the individual in the image; with this comes broken trust and potential embarrassment with friends, colleagues, family and possibly an employer. According to Julie Pinborough, director of QMUL's Legal Advice Centre, revenge porn is a "disturbing and rapidly growing phenomenon". "While the alleged number of reported offences (149) is relatively small, we know that many victims never come forward," she said. "Stigma is definitely an issue; people often feel embarrassed, afraid and powerless." In an article in the Telegraph, Pinborough outlined the steps that victims can take in order to seek redress. Currently, victims of revenge porn who are seeking redress face a number of complex and potentially expensive legal challenges. A civil claim based on breach of confidence or copyright is possible, but the claimant is required to pay the legal costs – in the hope that they will be refunded following a successful legal case. "The civil route involves a substantial upfront financial investment and significant risk for the victim," Pinborough explained. "Even when successful, it's difficult to quantify an appropriate award of damages. How much for your reputation, your privacy, and your well-being?" Victims can also report abuse through the criminal law system, which already enables prosecutors to bring charges against those who publish private information online, but is considered by some to be outdated and in need of improvement. "Our criminal law system is currently playing 'catch-up' in an effort to deal with this relatively new problem," Pinborough continued. "As it stands, prosecutors must rely on legislation that is either outdated or designed for another purpose. "While there have been successful prosecutions, there is a need for reform and we very much welcome the fact that revenge porn will be made a specific offence in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill." The Bill is currently going through Parliament and once enacted will carry a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment. Dr Ian Walden, Professor of Information and Communications Law at QMUL, said that "the success of the new offence will also depend in large part on the attitude of the police and prosecuting authorities, who have recently faced an ever expanding number of social media related criminal cases, putting pressure of existing resources." The service is supported by specialist lawyers at Mishcon de Reya, which has worked with QMUL's Pink Law project for six years. Julie Pinborough urged those affected by revenge porn to contact the Legal Advice Centre at QMUL for sensitive, expert, and free legal advice on how best to proceed. "If you've been affected, please don't suffer in silence or feel that you're alone. "We understand that these incidents can really throw your life off course, but there are legal supports and services to help you take control and get back on track." The aims here are: to make free legal advice as available as possible; to help clients understand the legal implications of the situation; to inform clients of the legal remedies for the act against them; to support those who have been called to court to give evidence and to provide clients with all their possible options so they can make an informed decision. QMUL’s role is not to act as a general helpline, but to provide legal support to those who feel they have been a victim of someone sharing and publishing intimate images without their consent. If additional emotional support is required, QMUL can provide details of organisations that can offer this. Contact SPITE via facebook, or via a QMUL’s website inquiry form.
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