Police Officer to be put in charge of tackling violence against at women and girls

[CaveMum]

I hope I’m wrong but what are the odds this role will be given to a man?

Violence against women: Top police role to be announced www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57909118

Vera Baird would be good to oversee this

@ErrolTheDragon

My thoughts are much like WarriorN's

If the job is given to a woman - which I would have thought is quite likely - it pushes it into the 'women's problem' corner.

On balance, I think I'm in this camp. As galling as it is to admit, I think a man in the role would be most beneficial, as long as they're the right person, obviously. Men listen to men. How utterly depressing and demoralising but that's currently how it is and it's an opportunity not to be missed. Not that I think it'll make much difference sadly, as so many things need tackling, like everyday sexism, pornography, prostitution, rape culture, schools, sports, trans etc etc.

If it were a choice between Cressida Dick and Alan Caton there would be no contest that Caton would be the better choice.

Just had another look at the BBC piece.

The headline initiatives so far are a bit strange as the first announced.

The government's strategy to tackle violence against women and girls includes a 24-hour rape and sexual assault helpline

They will need to handle this carefully. If they do not a consequence could be further erosion of the idea that a fair amount of sex offences against women and girls are not really a police matter.
Will it discourage calling the police when warranted?
Who will run it- will it be police or other (contracted out?!).
Why not include DV? Also handled badly at the moment.
What will be the help given by the service? Look forward to seeing more detail.

£5m of funding to tackle violence in public places at night

Is this general violence or specific to sex offences?
Very strange move IMO. Out and about it tends to be men who are there and gone. Or, you're not in a position to call anyone.
More common is stuff on public transport, in clubs and bars, incidents that happen when the man has got the woman somewhere fairly private.
When it comes to violence late at night in public places that's more of a male on male thing isn't it?! It's like when they said they were going to put undercover officers in pubs and clubs to look out for women. In reality I'm sure that was about drugs. I feel the same about this one, that it's probably actually about something else.

, and an online tool where women and girls can log areas where they have felt unsafe

And do what with it?
Get it better lit?
Get patrols round?
Or is it so we can look it up and think oh better walk the other way twice as far... And if you go that way... Why didn't you check?!
What if the places are walking home on busy roads after school? In busy parks in the daytime? What would they do with that info? On the bus with the boys from another local school?
What then?

Very strange set of ideas IMO

Nothing they do will work. They don't have enough insight or understanding of the root cause of the issues. They'd have more impact if they showed the cup of tea consent video in the eastenders and coronation street breaks.

Vera Baird would be good to be involved. I still feel the "visual head" should be male.

Nice, yes I feel there's issues with that list. What concerns me is that clearly predators who are police can infiltrate all sorts of jobs.

I feel the whole thing needs to be a separate body that inspects the police and runs along side? Although I see issues with that too.

Well, best for the job. If it's Baird, so be it!

Feel like what NiceGerbil said is right. Am a victim but unimportant victim to them cos domestic violence so not stranger violence.

All postcode lottery the support and then also depends on if the person answering phone or assigned to you wants to fight for you. Some don't bother they disinterested. Either it's because they decide they don't like you for some reason, maybe nothing more than the sound of your voice or your age or just they think you don't deserve help for some reason. Maybe they don't like their job and doing it only to earn money. Most in the sector so good and work so hard but pot luck and if victim gets a bad one, no way out and trapped with violence and abuse cos people think every single one is a saint and if you have no help you must be bad or worthless person who deserves violence and abuse.

Think what is suggested the new measures is about pretending there's help but nothing really there for proper help. Cos women like me seen as not worth spending money on to help. Would understand but it's psychologically abusive to pretend there's help and deny bad experiences as if you a bad undeserving person for speaking about it. Most domestic abuse organisation people good but they not all saints and actually it's ideal sector for an abusive or bullying person to work in cos no criticism is allowed.

With police you allowed to criticise bad experiences but any and experience with domestic abuse violence against women organisations and you immediately not believed or assumed you deserve to be abused and suffer violence and risk of violence as they all saints to some people. That's not true. Some are bad people and many others good people but postcode lottery. They literally can know you at serious risk and suffering violence and abuse but if you don't live in their area they can't help you. How can that be right that women left at risk of violence cos of where they live.

One of biggest problems is not enforcing rules and laws and protections already law. What's point of new laws if not enforced already ones already there. Victims of violence have laws to help be safe but you need advocate someone who fights for you or the rules not enforced. Places like local authorities housing, social services, other things and also sometimes advice and support organisations. They break the law not all of them but some do and what can vulnerable women do without support. They take advantage of how vulnerable you are and get away with doing nothing. Even if there's a murder they just say something about lessons will be learned and then keep not helping properly cos most of the time it's violence, abuse, and rape but not death so just injuries and suffering and so they get away without helping. More important than new laws is more help and support to make places do what already is law.

Have proof of not being helped. Proof of the bad woman who shouldn't be working in domestic abuse organisation and of the places like councils not doing what they meant to do including messages but what's the point. They know it's too unsafe to take it anywhere to make formal complaints. They know vulnerable women like me can't do that as can't draw attention to yourself with formal complaints when abuser could find out and be more violent. They take advantage of you being vulnerable victim of violence. I sound like bad person but am at the stage now where don't care much anymore and only hope I have is if I get killed. I want the evidence of places breaking law to be seen. Probably just they'll say lessons will be learned and do nothing to change but at least I have evidence of being failed by bad people. I don't mean the people who tried hard to help but can't cos in wrong area cos not their fault. I mean the bad person who was meant to advocate but didn't and actually behaved abusively and the places that lie and break the law.

Sorry to keep posting but it makes me feel so sick and ill and despairing when see them talk about violence against women as if there's enough help and I want there to be help so other women don't go through what I have or if there's no help, shouldn't give false hope by pretending there is enough help when there isn't. It's cruel to do that to victims. Cos maybe too late for me cos not young and the virus has shown massively how worthless you are seen as when no longer young so gets to stage when too late to rebuild life cos most of it gone.

I really feel for your nosafe and agree.

The laws are have are generally pretty sound. A lot stronger and more progressive globally than loads of countries, including some you would not expect.

They're not being enforced though.

I don't see what helplines and policing public areas (???!!!???) will do about anything....

Because if the police CPS etc don't change then nothing changes. Bottom line.

That given and thinking some more.

These helplines etc. If the criminal justice system don't care, don't act etc. Then what are they FOR?

To start to hive the vast majority of this to outside the criminal justice system?

Is that paranoid?

In theory, I would rather see a woman appointed to this role but my brother (who has never been in the police) would do a far better job of it and has a greater concern and understanding of mvaw than my mother (who was in the police) ever could.

A lot of women minimise mvaw and seek to blame the women. Perhaps it makes them feel safer that it couldn't happen to them because they are not that sort of woman.

You not paranoid. Think you right cos think will be like my experiences of already existing helplines. They work so hard do their best most of them although also the bad ones. It's a minority but still some are bad people. The others work so hard and not their fault about the bad people ones but high demamd and they not meeting it all. I been through many times literally hours trying to get through to helplines. Then depends if good person or bad person who answers. Most so good but if you get the minority who are bad, devastating and like retraumatising. Can't explain how humiliating it is. You make yourself vulnerable when already vulnerable. Open up tell someone reach out ask for help actually beg for help and if it's one of the minority of bad ones who just disinteresred shrug attitude then leaves you feeling even more vulnerable and with nowhere to turn.

Think better give more money and support to helplines already existing cos they already there helping but hard to cope with demand. If more money can train more and also better checking to make sure no minority of bad people working there.

Think the helpline they suggesting will be just you get signposted to local charity and so relying on charity and not always able to help cos charity and not enough money. Think will it be same as domestic abuse and be depend on where you live if you can get support. If you live in wrong area than no support or even worse than no support, be bad support.

London Victim Support has up to 2 month waiting list for support. Don't know if can explain how not worth it that is cos when you at risk of violence have already experienced violence and rape and need support to leave or support to cope with trauma experience, you need it at the time you ask for it. You in danger at risk physical or mental danger but left with no support and told to just call police. What's the point of saying there's support if there isn't and you left to deal with police on your own terrified so scared and overwhelming so you give up. Takes a lot to get strength to ask for help also so you lose strength when told long waiting list.

Not just Victim Support. My area has had closed waiting lists other organisations including rape crisis sexual assault support. You can't even get on a waiting list until opens again.

Better give more money and support to places already there and help enforce laws already there cos main thing what's needed.

Important thing. If woman wants police, she needs support cos daunting and frightening to go against the violent or abusive or rapist man in criminal justice system and too overwhelming and scared to it alone without support.

Needs not be postcode lottery on if support cos no good if places can't help you either cos wait list or cos bad person working there who doesn't care and can't be bothered to help you and then they tell you to just go to police. Women need support to do that.

Other main thing is women should be allowed support without being forced to involve police. If that's counselling or help to leave abuse or medical treatment. Cos traumatic and distressing experiences already and wrong to force you to go through more traumatic experience if you not wanting it or not strong enough.
Best would be if allowed to give evidence to not police support organisation with no pressure to go to police but then evidence there if you change mind later. Think can do that with sexual assault already.

Worse thing with my experiences. Was so scared and one things was scared of not being able to trust anyone. Was told to take a leap of faith. Took everything so much to do that and when wasn't given the help needed, felt like that thing where you do the trust fall. You let yourself fall back and person meant to catch you to stop you hitting ground. Was like that and they didn't catch me.

BarmyNights It's right what you saying. I have experienced women like that. Some very kind nice understanding women too but some bad ones as well and it feels worse than when it's a man.