Tackling violence against Women and girls is proving a success in south Wales

Today, the Crown Prosecution Service announced a record number of prosecutions for violence against women across England and Wales in a report. Superintendent Lian Penhale, who heads up the public protection unit at South Wales Police, has welcomed the news and attributes it to a sea change in the way that such offences are being approached by criminal justice partners across south Wales.

The increase in the number of convictions for rape, domestic violence, honour based crime and harassment, is thanks to a blend of vital operational changes and strategic collaborations, which have been implemented in South Wales and enhanced with the launch of the ‘Action Plan for Tackling Violence against Women and Girls’ back in 2014.

Lian Penhale, said:

“The fact that more and more people are being convicted at court for offences that they may previously have got away with is enormously positive and sends a clear message to offenders.

“One of the biggest barriers for us, especially when dealing with domestic abuse which accounts for the volume of incidents, has been a cultural one.

“Victims are reluctant to tell someone about being abused or if they did, perhaps their friends or family, then there would be issues around breaking their confidence and it would generally go unreported.

“Today’s announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service sends a clear message to offenders who previously thought they would get away with it and I hope it also gives confidence to those who are suffering domestic abuse to come forward and trust the police and the criminal justice system to provide them with the support they need.

“In South wales, the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable have made vital changes in key areas which were highlighted as priorities in 2014 when the ‘Action Plan for Violence Against Women and Girls was launched.

“Two areas of focus and priorities for South Wales Police are victim-centred officer and staff training and victim referral processes. Today I am pleased to say that we are training more officers and staff than ever before because it is vital that we equip them with the knowledge and skills to deal effectively with sexual offences, domestic abuse, honour based violence, and online crime.

“Online harassment is increasing, but it is a relatively new phenomenon, and it is important that we have officers who are competent and able to capitalise on the digital footprints left behind by perpetrators. In south Wales, the number of recorded offences increased seven-fold between last year and the year before.

“In the first case of its kind, a man was prosecuted recently at Cardiff Crown Court under Forced Marriage legislation. This is testament to the awareness and training of officers, and a collaboration with Karma Nirvana, which is a charity which supports victims of honour based violence and forced marriage.

“We recognised that much needed to be done to improve the criminal justice journey for victims and to this end South Wales Police have embedded an officer within CPS to work together to ensure we continue to improve and develop our understanding and practice,” said Lian Penhale.

“The Multi Agency Safeguarding Unit (MASH) is also an exciting innovation in the Cwm Taf region. It is the first of its kind in Wales, and perhaps, represents the biggest sea change in the way that safeguarding services are delivered. Staff from all safeguarding agencies such as the police, social services, health, education, and probation, are working shoulder to shoulder under one roof.

“Serious Case Reviews across the country have repeatedly told us that failure to share information has been a key factor when things go wrong. The Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub is a major step towards addressing this. We hope that by bringing partners and professionals together we will be better placed to protect people in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf. I believe what exists in Cwm Taf is a blue print for the future of safeguarding,” she added.