Campaign reply - In support of the Valerie's Law petition's debate in parliament

Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about supporting black victims of domestic abuse.

Unfortunately, due to other parliamentary business, I was unable to attend this debate.

However, I entirely agree with you that effective and comprehensive training for responders to domestic and sexual abuse is essential. It is vital that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to protect and support all victims and survivors of domestic abuse, including those from black backgrounds.

It is for this reason that I welcomed the landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which has at its core a focus on helping transform the response to domestic abuse. The Act aims to ensure that victims can report their experiences with full confidence that the state will do everything it can to support them.

I am aware, however, that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not appropriate for all victims and recognise the importance of specialist domestic abuse services to support the specific issues that black victims face. I therefore welcomed that the Domestic Abuse Act established in law the role of Domestic Abuse Commissioner. This role requires the incumbent to adopt a specific focus on the particular needs of victims and survivors from minority or marginalised groups.

Furthermore, I welcome the recent publication of the 'Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan' which will seek to transform the whole of society's response to domestic abuse. The Plan will prevent offending from happening in the first place, support victims and survivors when it does occur, pursue perpetrators in order to prevent reoffending, and develop and strengthen the multi-agency, society-wide system needed to combat these pervasive, often hidden crimes. 

I have been assured that the plan is closely aligned with the 'Tackling violence against women and girls strategy' that was published in July last year. Both documents were informed by the same call for evidence, which actively sought input from under-represented groups to ensure the perspectives of a diverse range of people, including victims and survivors from ethnic minority backgrounds.

It is also the case that the police and other relevant organisations already receive training and guidance on domestic abuse, which includes recognising that victims may have specific needs based on their ethnicity or cultural background. The College of Policing has mandatory foundation training for those entering the service, including all the new officers being recruited as a result of the police uplift programme. That training includes substantial coverage of police ethics and self-understanding, including the effects of personal conscious and unconscious bias. It also covers hate crimes, ethics and equalities, and policing without bias.

In addition, the College of Policing has developed specialist domestic abuse training, the Domestic Abuse Matters programme, which helps first responders develop the skills they need when first on the scene of an incident or report.

For the reasons outlined above, I do not believe it is necessary to mandate revised specialist training. I do, however, look forward to seeing the positive impact of the new Domestic Abuse Plan on victims and survivors across the UK.

Thank you once again for getting in touch, and if I can be of further assistance with any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.