Safeguarding

Last year, violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the UK was declared a national emergency by the police. This violence is everything from domestic abuse, harassment and sexual assaults. It is estimated that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse, and 1 in 3 women will suffer sexual assault in their lifetime. These statistics show the depth of this issue, and how important it is that changes are made to education, support and justice systems to ensure victims are protected. In 2022, new government legislation turned strangulation and suffocation from being included in charges like assault or bodily harm into stand-alone offences which can be punished accordingly. It highlighted the growing realisation that strangulation is a deep enough issue that it warrants recognition as a violent act.