Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 131
Make tackling technology-facilitated abuse a priority across law enforcement and justice system
Recommendation
The Government must make tackling technology-facilitated abuse, or “tech abuse”, a priority. There is little evidence to suggest that our law enforcement and criminal justice system has been equipped to deal with the problems caused by tech abuse now, let alone as connected devices become even more prevalent in future. While there is no “silver bullet” for dealing with tech abuse, the Government can do more to tackle it.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, stating that tackling technology-facilitated abuse is already recognised as a priority within existing strategies like the 2021 Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, and commits to continuing to ensure it remains a priority.
Paragraph Reference:
131
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We agree with this conclusion. This Government is determined to ensure that the perpetrators of all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) are held to account for their crimes—including crimes perpetrated or continued online. As technology becomes increasingly entwined with our day to day lives, it is important that we are sufficiently prepared to tackle technology-facilitated abuse and prioritise this crime type in our criminal justice response as it grows in prevalence. The 2021 Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, and subsequent 2022 Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, already recognise the importance of tackling technology-facilitated abuse as an integral part of the response to these crimes. Therefore, we accept the recommendation to continue to ensure that tackling technology-facilitated abuse remains a priority for this Government as part of our whole systems response to tackling violence against women and girls. The Government is committed to addressing the differing types of technology facilitated abuse against women and girls. This includes economic abuse which is often technology- facilitated and can make an individual economically dependent on the abuser, and/or create economic instability, thereby limiting their ability to escape and access safety. In 2022, the then Minister for Safeguarding chaired an economic abuse roundtable with key stakeholders from the voluntary and financial sector to hear a range of views on how the public, private and voluntary sector can continue working together to strengthen our response to economic abuse which is often facilitated by the utilisation of tech by perpetrators. A subsequent roundtable has been held in July 2023 by HM Treasury to continue working with key partners to address the issues caused by economic abuse, including when it is technology-facilitated.