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Legal threat over poor services for rape victims
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard30.01.09
More than 100 local authorities are to be threatened with legal action over claims they have failed to provide specialised services for women suffering rape, domestic violence and abuse, it was announced today.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission said there was a "major funding gap" and that one in four local authorities in Britain had no specialised support services.
The commission said it will write to the authorities in question within a month asking them to explain why they were not providing adequate services, as required by law.
Commission chairman Trevor Phillips, said: "In many parts of the country, services for women who have experienced violence are chronically under funded or simply do not exist. Women shouldn't be subjected to this postcode lottery.
"I hope that the bleak statistics in today's report will serve as a wake-up call. But for those councils who continue to ignore the dire need to shore up services and plug the gaps, we also have a stark reminder - the commission is ready and willing to use its enforcement powers."
Reader views (4)
Hmmmmmm...... I wonder how many services there are anywhere in the entire country for men who are the victims of domestic violence?
If the U.K. is anything like Canada the answer is zero. Yet government statistics (in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.) continue to show that men are victims of domestic abuse at the hands of their female partners in almost the same numbers as are women victims. I know - I am a father who was the victim of domestic abuse. Yet when this was mentioned in court the judge literally laughed in my face.
Yes, there is definitely a "major funding gap" but I suggest that it is in the total lack of services for abused men.
- Canadian Dad, Toronto, Canada
Samantha, Uckfield. What happened to your mother is truly horrible, however, your attack on the Police is unfair.
There will be absolutely no forensic evidence for them to go on, and presumably no witnesses. What exactly are they supposed to do in these circumstances, simply take your mother's word for it?
Thankfully, justice doesn't work like that, otherwise there would be hundreds of innocent men in prison.
I really cannot see how threatening cash strapped local authorities with huge compensation claims is going to help anyone, least of all the victims of crime.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Samantha - it may be true, but could the state bring a case that would stand any likelihood of succeeding at all (remembering that the test is "beyond reasonable doubt"), short of a confession by one or other of the perpetrators. If not, what would be the npoint of wasting the taxpayer's money. The failure of the law (and perhaps your grandparents) occurred 40 years ago, not two years ago.
- Robert, London
my poor mum was raped when she was 13yrs old by her older brother and his best friend ,when my mum had a breakdown 2yrs ago it all came out and we urged her to go to the police but because it happened nearly 40 yrs ago the police didnt want to know,after the videoed interview and visits to the local police station,the local policed decided that it was to long ago and not enough evidence,my poor old mum is in bits i feel useless if the law cannot help you then what can be done,all the while her brother walks free,it shouldnt matter if a crime happened a hundred years ago ,sometimes people do not go to the police because they do not trust them and are made to feel like the criminal.
- Samantha, uckfield.uk
