Overview
- The government declared violence against women and girls a national emergency and pledged to halve it within a decade.
- Dedicated rape and sexual offences investigation teams will be mandated in all 43 police forces in England and Wales by 2029.
- Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will be rolled out nationwide, enabling curfews, electronic tags and exclusion zones, with breaches punishable by up to five years in prison.
- Nearly £2m will fund covert online investigator squads to target offenders using apps and websites, building on undercover child abuse operations.
- Ministers will consult on widening Clare’s Law to cover stalking and sexual assault and propose human-rights changes to speed deportations of foreign sex offenders, as campaigners and committee chairs warn of a postcode lottery without extra central funding and Jess Phillips says improvements will take years to be felt.