News & Campaigns

All the latest from HER-itage and our affiliates

1 October 2022 12:30 ~ Unveiling of Sabina Nessa Memorial Garden and Fundraising Memorial Walk @ 15:30 – Sabina Project – London

  • @ University of Greenwich Stephen Lawerence Building
    back of dreadnought Park Row London SE10 9LS

The Sabina Project unveils the ‘Sabina Nessa Memorial Garden’ at The University of Greenwich, 1 year on from the murder of Sabina Nessa.

The Sabina Project is a grassroots, student led project, which aims to raise awareness around violence against women and girls.

Our project is in honour of Sabina Nessa, sister, auntie, friend, role model, primary school teacher and Greenwich alumni student who was brutally murdered back in 2021 in Kidbrooke, South London.

Come and join us at the unveiling of Sabina’s memorial garden, here at Greenwich University, a day to celebrate Sabina’s life and remember Sabina and the beautiful soul she was.

Our event aims to also provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the pressing matter of violence against women and girls.

At the unveiling there will be a few guest speakers, who will be there to honour Sabina’s life and stand in solidarity against violence against women and girls.

President of The Sabina Project, Kareema Motala, will be commemorating Sabina’s life and speaking about her experience setting the project up all in honour of Sabina.

Greenwich Domestic Violence & Abuse Service will also be at the unveiling to raise awareness and provide support around domestic violence and violence against women and girls.

There will be face painting as well as music and refreshments.

Dress Code: We encourage all attendees to dress up as your favourite woman or a woman of significance throughout history.

For any further enquires, please email: info.thesabinaproject@gmail.com

Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unveiling-of-sabina-nessa-memorial-garden-tickets-425010376477
1 October 2022 15:30 ~ Sabina Nessa Memorial Walk

We invite you to walk with us from University of Greenwich to Parliament in the aim to raise awareness about femicide.

The walk will start at University of Greenwich and will end at the Houses of Parliament. The event is hosted in memory of Sabina Nessa and all other women who have died as a result of male violence.

We hope to raise money and awarness to help charities that support victims of domestic abuse and male violence.

We invite you to come along dressed as women throughout history.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sabina-nessa-memorial-walk-tickets-425028921947

September 29, 2022

1 October 2022 14:00 ~ Join 1 October protest in London’s Trafalgar Square in solidarity with women’s revolution in Iran – One Law for All

22-year-old Mahsa Amini was visiting Tehran from Saqez, Iranian Kurdistan when she was arrested on 13 September for ‘improper’ veiling by the morality police.

She was badly beaten according to eyewitnesses, arriving brain-dead at the hospital. She died in intensive care on 16 September.

Outrage over her murder has sparked unprecedented protests across Iran. The slogans of these protests include: ‘Down with Dictator,’ We don’t want an Islamic government,’ ‘We don’t want an anti-women government.’

The main slogan of the protests: ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ with women taking the lead, removing and burning their veils, united with men against the Islamic regime in Iran.

This woman’s revolution must be supported by people everywhere.

On 1 October, join the global day of solidarity with protests in Iran in cities across the globe. In London, the protest will be at Trafalgar Square at 2pm. Please come and stand with women and men in Iran challenging theocracy and misogyny of which compulsory veiling is a pillar.

#MahsaAmini

#IranProtests

#WomansRevolution

Check details and for updates at https://onelawforall.org.uk/join-1-october-protest-in-londons-trafalgar-square-in-solidarity-with-womens-revolution-in-iran/

 

September 29, 2022

19 December 2022 ~ CPS seeks public’s views on draft ‘Deception as to Gender’ legal guidance – Consultation Closes

A public consultation on updated legal guidance regarding deception as to gender in rape and serious sexual assault cases has been launched by the Crown Prosecution Service on 26 September 2022.

The draft guidance reflects the case law on deception as to gender and whether it could affect consent and addresses the issue where a suspect’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Siobhan Blake, CPS lead for rape and serious sexual assault said: “Cases where the issue of deception as to gender is a factor are rare, but they involve complex and sensitive decision-making. It is important that our prosecutors have access to the latest case law when considering whether the threshold for criminal charges has been met. While every case must be decided on its own specific facts, we want to be transparent in setting out the factors that should be considered.

“Our draft guidance has already benefited from the input of a number of interested groups, but we want the final product to be informed by as wide a range of views as possible. We are inviting comments to make sure that it strikes the right balance, so we can meet our obligations to be fair to both victims and suspects.”

When finalised, the draft guidance will update one chapter of the guidance for prosecutors on rape and sexual offences, which was comprehensively revised last year.

It sets out relevant information that must be considered when weighing up evidential and public interest factors. Prosecutors are asked to consider the evidence and circumstances of the alleged assault to determine whether the complainant has been deceived, using a three-stage approach:

  1. Has there been active or deliberate deception by the suspect?
  2. Was the complainant deceived and therefore did not consent?
  3. Did the suspect reasonably believe the complainant consented?

Prosecutors are asked to consider issues such as how the suspect perceived their gender at the time of the offence and assess whether there has been an active or deliberate deception. This involves looking at the actions of suspect before, during and after the incident to fully understand the circumstances and context of the alleged attack.

The updated guidance also provides greater clarity on the Gender Recognition Act 2004 which allows individuals to have their affirmed gender recognised in law, whilst making it clear that a person’s gender identity is not dependent on them doing so.

The public consultation sets out eight questions, including:

whether any evidential considerations and public interest factors should be added, removed or amended; and
whether the language is appropriate.

The 12-week consultation begins on 26 September and will end on 19 December.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/cps-seeks-publics-views-draft-deception-gender-legal-guidance

September 27, 2022

Pre-recorded evidence for rape victims available nationwide – Ministry of Justice and HM Courts & Tribunals Service

New technology which spares victims of rape the stress of being cross-examined during a live trial is now available at every Crown Court in England and Wales.

  • Measure aims to reduce trauma for victims and witnesses to help them give their best evidence
  • Government delivers on pledge to ensure this vital measure is available across the country

The Government has on 26 September 2022 delivered on its pledge to ensure this vital measure is available nationwide to boost rape convictions and ensure better support for victims.

The tool allows victims and witnesses of crimes such as rape and modern slavery to have their cross-examination video-recorded and played later during trial. This is subject to a successful application to the court.

The recording takes place as close to the time of the offence as possible, while memories remain fresh, and helps victims avoid the stress of giving evidence under full glare of a live trial setting, which many find traumatic.

From today, the measure will be available at a final 20 Crown Courts in Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia, Essex, London and the South East, and marks the completion of national rollout.

The move follows the successful implementation for vulnerable victims, such as children or those who have limited mental and physical capacity, across the country – with more than 3,000 witnesses having already benefitted from the technology since August 2020.

The successful rollout of pre-recorded evidence meets a key pledge within the Government’s Rape Review Action Plan which sets out clear actions for the police, prosecutors and courts. These include a new approach to investigations in order to reduce the number of victims withdrawing from the process and  increase the number of cases reaching court.

The measure is designed to maintain a defendant’s right to a fair trial and any decision to pre-record evidence is made by a judge on a case-by-case basis. Following today’s completion of national rollout to Crown Courts, the Government has announced that it will be piloted for children and vulnerable adult witnesses for all offences at Leeds Youth Court, considering how it could be used more widely in trials of under 18s.

In June, the Government published the latest Rape Review Progress report and committed to piloting specialist rape support in three courtrooms as recommended by the Joint Inspectorates of the CPS and Police. These courts offer support such as Independent Sexual Violence Advisors within the court itself as well as trauma training to court staff and are being set up at Snaresbrook, Leeds and Newcastle Crown Courts.

This final phase will include:

  • Amersham, Aylesbury, Basildon, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Guildford, Hove Trial Centre, King’s Lynn, Lewes, Norwich Combined Court Centre, Peterborough Combined Court Centre, Reading and Southend in the South East;
  • Croydon, Snaresbrook, Southwark, the Central Criminal Court, the Inner London Sessions House and Woolwich.

Part of a longer press release at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pre-recorded-evidence-for-rape-victims-available-nationwide

 

September 27, 2022

Systemic ‘gatekeeping’ by local authorities of housing support for domestic abuse survivors – new report from Public Interest Law Centre (PILC)

PILC has launched anew report and campaign around the systemic ‘gatekeeping’ by local authorities of housing support for domestic abuse survivors.

Housing is one of the major barriers facing women and girls fleeing abuse. Most domestic abuse survivors have the legal right to access emergency housing and longer-term safe and secure accommodation.

Yet systemic ‘gatekeeping’ (the placing of bureaucratic or other obstacles in the way of those seeking statutory support) across local councils means many survivors are unable to access the help they so desperately need.

Our report, authored by PILC’s Isabella Mulholland, is based on original research, including casework and litigation undertaken by the law centre over the past three years, as well as witness testimonies from survivors and frontline domestic violence advocates across all thirty-two London boroughs.

PILC has written a legal submission to Simon Clark MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Levelling Up, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, highlighting the findings of the research.

The letter calls on the Secretary of State and the Mayor to commission an independent investigation into local authorities’ widespread failure to provide housing support to domestic abuse survivors.

As our research shows, the systemic ‘gatekeeping’ of housing support for victims of domestic abuse is placing survivors at risk of further abuse and retraumatisation.

Key findings from our report include the following:

  • The ‘gatekeeping’ of housing support for domestic abuse survivors is a systemic issue across London local authorities
  • ‘Gatekeeping’ by councils takes a variety of forms, including: long (and sometimes unlawful) delays in making decisions around housing for survivors; unsuitable offers of temporary and long-term accommodation; the failure to provide emergency accommodation to survivors and their children; the imposition of unlawfully high evidence thresholds before support is provided; failure to apply the statutory definition of domestic abuse; the application of value judgements by housing officers; survivors being wrongly instructed to stay in or leave their borough; and the refusal of support until there is a threat of legal action
  • Council ‘gatekeeping’ is having a serious impact on survivors, with some being forced to remain in properties where they are at risk or having no option but to return to the perpetrator of domestic abuse
  • ‘Gatekeeping’ across London local authorities has worsened over the last decade as a consequence of austerity and a chronic shortage of social housing

The full report can be downloaded here.

https://www.pilc.org.uk/news/pilc-domestic-abuse-report-and-campaign-launched/

 

September 27, 2022