Question
Domestic violence campaigners and charities, including Kaleidoscopic UK, have warned that post-separation abuse is too often missed by the justice system. How many more victims must be failed before the Government take action to ensure that post-separation abuse is properly recognised across policing, prosecution and the courts?
Answer
The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the issue of post-separation abuse. I hope he will have heard the answer from my hon. Friend the Minister responsible for sentencing and family courts about our strategy to tackle this issue. Domestic abuse protection orders are a flagship policy of this Government, which we are rolling out nationally later this month. They are our strongest ever protective order, and I will happily work with him, stakeholders and victims and survivors to see what more we can do to strengthen support for those experiencing post-separation abuse.40% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (42/100)
The reply partly answers the question. It points to a concrete measure, the nationwide rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, and commits to work on support for post-separation abuse. It does not say what will ensure police, prosecutors and courts recognise post-separation abuse, and it refers the wider strategy to another minister's answer. Its closing offer to "see what more we can do" is non-committal, so the asker would likely need to follow up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government take action to ensure that post-separation abuse is properly recognised across policing, prosecution and the courts, and if so, what action? | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply names a concrete mechanism, the nationwide rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, and makes a commitment to work on strengthening support for post-separation abuse. However, it does not say what action will ensure recognition across policing, prosecution and the courts, and it defers the strategy to another minister's answer. The closing commitment to "see what more we can do" is soft. |