Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted
Paragraph: 132
Upskill law enforcement and improve crime data to enhance response to tech abuse
Recommendation
The Government’s response to tech abuse should involve upskilling law enforcement to improve the criminal justice response and increasing law enforcement’s and victims’ and survivors’ awareness of specialist services tackling violence against women and girls. The Government should also reflect on how official crime data on tech abuse can be improved to expand the evidence base for specialists, academics and policymakers in order to develop a more comprehensive, co-ordinated response.
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, committing to provide up to £8.3 million over two years for frontline support, including training on tech-facilitated abuse, and £150k for the Revenge Porn Helpline. It also commits to continuing to work with policing partners on developing skills and with police forces to ensure accurate use of the 'online flag' in crime data.
Paragraph Reference:
132
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We partially agree with this conclusion. We agree with the conclusion that robustly tackling technology-facilitated abuse requires policing and criminal justice partners to develop the specialist capability and skills needed to address this issue. The National Policing VAWG Taskforce has already identified technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (VAWG) as a key priority in the Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment on VAWG published earlier this year. In the assessment, they set out expectations for police forces to recognise the emerging role of technology in VAWG crimes and prioritise improving their response. It is important to note that policing is operationally independent of the Government, however, the Government will continue to work closely with policing partners such as the National Police Chief’s Council and the College of Policing to ensure that police forces have the right skills, capabilities and training resources they need to respond to this emerging and evolving threat. Connected tech: smart or sinister?: Government and Information Commissioner’s Office Response 15 The Government recognises the importance and valuable expertise of specialist services in supporting victims and survivors and upskilling criminal justice partners. The that victims and survivors of VAWG offences and domestic abuse need. In July 2023, the Government announced up to £8.3 million will be provided to organisations across England and Wales to fund frontline and specialist support projects for victims and survivors over two years, including counselling, training and community outreach. As part of this, Refuge will receive funding to work collaboratively with specialist by-and- for organisations to support them in responding effectively to the risks of technology facilitated abuse through training. The Government also continues to invest in vital helplines to support victims of abuse, including providing £150k in 2023/24 to the Revenge Porn Helpline to support victims of non-consensual intimate image sharing, colloquially known as ‘revenge porn’. The Government accepts the ambition of the recommendation to improve official crime data on technology-facilitated abuse. The Government will continue to work with police forces to ensure accurate use of the ‘online flag’ within crime data to inform policy making.