Category Archives: Opinion Comment

Domestic Abuse Commissioner responds to the conclusion of the early release scheme review

Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said: “The decision to not exclude domestic abuse perpetrators from this scheme is wrong and puts victims lives at risk.

“As I told the Lord Chancellor just last week, the danger perpetrators pose to their victim should not be underestimated. These are individuals who are fixated on their victim and will stop at nothing to control and cause harm.

“While ministers have rightly recognised the need to improve communication with victims impacted and given a welcome injection of funding to specialist services, measures that will keep domestic abuse victims safe still appear to be an afterthought.

“It is critical that no abuser is released in October unless I am confident that victims’ safety is not being compromised. This means gathering information about the risk perpetrators pose to victims as part of a thorough risk assessment before they leave prison and providing probation the resources they need to manage more offenders rigorously in the community.

“I will continue to work with ministers to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse do not continue to bear the brunt of this crisis.”

Notes

When the Labour government – under Keir Starmer – introduced the Standard Determinate Sentence 40% (SDS40) early release scheme to alleviate the prison capacity crisis it included specific protections for victims of domestic abuse.
This included exempting offenders serving sentences for sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length (including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation); as well as offences concerning national security.
During the passage of the Sentencing Act 2026 these protections were not carried forward meaning these offenders will now be released early.
Government figures show that prison recalls in England and Wales have increased to over 51,000 per year, with most recalls resulting from breaches of licence conditions, up 28% on the previous 12 months.
Domestic abuse perpetrators are often released with license conditions which can include not contacting their victim or visiting certain areas, however they are known to frequently breach these conditions to carry out their campaign of abuse. Additional measures included in the Sentencing Act mean that the vast majority of offenders recalled to prison will now be re-released automatically after 56 days (around eight weeks). A breach of license condition against their victim will not prevent a perpetrator from being automatically re-released.
Research into domestic homicide reviews found that over half of all victims who die at the hands of a partner or family member were subject to coercive control in the lead up to their death. Offenders convicted of coercive control are now set to be released early.
Non-fatal strangulation is one of the strongest indicators of high-risk, potentially lethal domestic abuse behaviour. IFAS analysed 396 published Domestic Homicide Reviews and identified 74 cases with a history of non-fatal strangulation (NFS). In 49% of the DHRs with a history of non-fatal strangulation, the perpetrator of the non-fatal strangulation went on to kill the same victim.
Recent figures suggest around 30% of people being managed by probation are current or former perpetrators of domestic abuse, although the true figure is likely to be higher.

https://www.domesticabusecommissioner.uk/domestic-abuse-commissioner-responds-to-the-conclusion-of-the-early-release-scheme-review/

August 26, 2026

Spycops Victims Demand Home Office Scrap Consultation

Core Participants in the Undercover Policing Inquiry have today written to the Home Office calling for the immediate withdrawal of its ‘consultation’ on the future of the Inquiry.

They express shock and deep concern at the Government’s proposals to curtail the Inquiry, and the perverse use of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill (the ‘Hillsborough Law’) to justify weakening a statutory public inquiry before the legislation has even been enacted.

Kate Wilson of Police Spies Out of Lives said:

“We were so excited about the progress of the Hillsborough Law, and the promises it makes for survivors of state abuse. But the very next day the Home Office did this.

“It may be no coincidence this consultation was launched in the last days of Starmer’s government: he’s implicated in covering up undercover operations during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions and may have questions to answer himself.

“But we have a new government now, under Andy Burnham. He built his political career on the fight for justice after Hillsborough. Is denying us truth and accountability really going to be one of the first things his government does?”

The letter is accompanied by submissions from Peter Weatherby KC, who acts for a number of the victims and helped draft the Hillsborough Law. He argues the Inquiry’s statutory powers are essential to uncovering the truth, and describes the consultation as ‘misconceived’, joining calls for it to be withdrawn.

Since public hearings began in 2020, the UCPI has exposed serious police abuses – sexual misconduct, criminal behaviour, agents provocateur activity, interference in democratic processes, misleading the courts, unlawful intrusion into the lives of thousands of people, and catastrophic failings that go all the way up the chain of command.

However, some of the most significant evidence is yet to be examined, such as the work of the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU), who deployed Mark Kennedy; abuse by undercover officers in criminal investigations (such as the case of ‘Mary’); and failures in the policing of racist criminal gangs.

These, more recent, operations took place under the Human Rights Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act—the very legal framework that is supposed to protect the public today. Core Participants say it is essential the Inquiry completes its work in order to make recommendations and prevent future abuse.

Dave Morris of the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance said:

‘It’s no surprise that the state wants to shut down this Inquiry – it is a disaster for the Metropolitan Police. Just yesterday, ex-Commissioner Baron Condon said in evidence that these were not isolated incidents but a result of systemic failures and a “culture of paranoia” in Special Branch.

The public deserves the full truth, and the Home Office must not bow to vested interests seeking to prevent that.’

The letter calls on the Home Office to withdraw the consultation, appoint new leadership to the Inquiry, ensure adequate resources to complete its work, and urgently meet with Core Participants to discuss ways forward.

Core Participants have been seeking to make recommendations about the Inquiry process since 2019, and have been asking to meet the Home Office since 2024, but have been rebuffed.

Jodie Gibson, Head of the Home Office Sponsorship Unit, told them in an email dated 23 December 2024:

‘It would not be appropriate for officials in the Home Office Sponsorship Unit to meet with you to discuss the functioning of the Inquiry. The Inquiry is operationally independent, and it is really important that we maintain those lines of independence.’

The Core Particpants group is aghast that the Home Office have refused all contact but now, without requesting our input, have published a misconceived, multiple choice ‘consultation’.

The group is asking people not to fill in the consultation, and will publicly oppose any attempt to curtail the Inquiry and will continue campaigning to ensure that the full truth about undercover policing is uncovered.

https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2026/07/22/spycops-victims-demand-home-office-scrap-consultation/

July 27, 2026

Lack of funding to learn from domestic abuse related deaths “deeply concerning” – Domestic Abuse Commissioner

On 27 May 2026, the UK Government has issued its formal response to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report into how learnings from Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) – an independent review conducted when someone over 16 loses their life because of violence, abuse or neglect – are acted on both nationally and locally.

The report made several proposals to government on how it could improve the independent oversight of recommendations stemming from DHRs to better implement learnings, so these tragic deaths do not happen again. The Commissioner also called for dedicated funding to be made available to councils to deliver the growing number of DHRs they are needing to conduct.

The Commissioner was pleased to see the government reiterate its intention to develop a digital oversight tool to ensure recommendations are captured – an intervention announced in early March by the then Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips.

However, she has expressed frustration that the official response does not provide any further update on what funding will be made available to deliver the tool, a timeline for its rollout, or how it will improve accountability for government departments and wider agencies on implementing recommendations made to them.

She also said she is “deeply concerned” that the government has outright rejected her call to provide dedicated funding to councils to help them deliver DHRs.

Since 2011, local councils have been mandated to conduct domestic homicide reviews – which the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and the Local Government Association estimate cost an average of £10,000 – yet no funding has ever been allocated for Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) – a group of agencies responsible for assessing and addressing local safety issues – to do so.

In 2016, DHRs were then broadened in scope to include domestic-abuse-related suicides and again no additional funding arrangements were made. This change, welcomed by the Commissioner, has led to an increase in the number of deaths meeting the criteria for a review.

The growing rate of DHRs councils must oversee has also come against the backdrop of local authorities’ budgets being cut or frozen. This is leaving local councils with ever dwindling resources which they must also use to fund public services.

Without dedicated funding, local areas have told the Domestic Abuse Commissioner that they will struggle to deliver these potentially life-saving reviews in the future. This risks creating a postcode lottery, with review decisions being made on financial grounds and opportunities missed to take learnings forward.

While the response acknowledges the pressures faced by councils and indicates that updated statutory guidance will help improve the effectiveness of delivery, there is no timeline for when this will be published, despite the public consultation to improve the statutory guidance being launched more than two years ago.

The government has an ambitious target to halve violence against women and girls within a decade and centres reducing female domestic homicide as key to achieving this. The Commissioner is urging the government to be “bolder and braver” in its decisions to speed up delivery for people subject to domestic abuse, and ensure vital lessons are not lost.

Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, said:

“When someone loses their life to domestic abuse, we should be doing all we can to learn from this tragedy and ensure it never happens again.

“While I’m pleased to see the government reaffirm its commitment to deliver a digital oversight tool, the lack of dedicated funding to ensure councils can conduct these potentially life-saving reviews is deeply concerning – particularly when councils are telling me they will struggle to commission them if further resource isn’t found.

“In the last few weeks, this government has been accused of delivering incremental change for victims and survivors of abuse. If it wants to achieve its mission and be a world leader in tackling VAWG it must be braver and bolder in its decisions.

“Ministers must reconsider this response and make dedicated funding available to ensure DHRs can be effectively conducted. This will not just deliver genuine improvements for people subject to domestic abuse, it will ultimately save lives.

“I want to once again thank the areas that, in spite of funding challenges, gave their time, expertise and commitment to piloting the oversight mechanism.”

Notes:

Read the Commissioner’s full Learning from Loss report. You can also see a full appendix of national DHR recommendations by government department.
Average DHR costs calculated from the Commissioner’s 2024 survey, conducted in partnership with the Local Government Association.
The government’s VAWG Strategy has sent the number of female homicides as a sub-headline metric of its success in achieving its aims. The first pillar of the Strategy focuses on the prevention of VAWG and early intervention for victims and survivors. DHRs provide a wealth of knowledge in achieving both.

https://www.domesticabusecommissioner.uk/lack-of-funding-domestic-abuse-related-death-review/

June 5, 2026

UN expert, Reem Alsalem, concerned by UK failure to enforce Supreme Court ruling on sex-based protections

A UN expert has expressed serious concern over the United Kingdom’s failure to ensure the effective implementation of a landmark Supreme Court judgment clarifying that the term “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.

“The continued absence of clear, updated guidance and effective enforcement measures has resulted in widespread non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling,” said Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. “This situation undermines legal certainty with particularly serious consequences for women and girls.”

The Special Rapporteur welcomed the ruling in her report following her recent visit to the United Kingdom. She recommended that the UK Government ensure that all public and private institutions uphold the Supreme Court ruling , and that it provide the necessary guidance to all segments of society to understand the implications of the ruling.

“Without implementation, a court judgment offers little protection in practice,” Alsalem said. “Women and girls are left exposed to continued rights violations and are often compelled to rely on litigation to enforce protections that should already be guaranteed by law — an option that is prohibitively costly and inaccessible for many.”

Nearly one year after the Supreme Court’s ruling of 16 April 2025 in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, the expert noted that the judgment is yet to be translated into binding guidance or enforced across public authorities and service providers. The expert expressed particular concern that non-compliance appears to extend to government departments and public sector bodies, including the National Health Service, the prison service, universities and schools.

“Although the UK Government has accepted that the Supreme Court judgment reflects the law, many public bodies reportedly claim they are awaiting government action to secure parliamentary approval of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s revised Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations,” the expert said. “At the same time, the earlier 2011 Code — now outdated and inconsistent with the ruling — reportedly remains in use.”

She stressed that the judgment was intended to resolve years of legal confusion surrounding women’s rights to single-sex services, facilities, associations and sports — rights that are central to safeguarding women’s safety, privacy and dignity, and to combating male violence against women and girls. As the first anniversary of the judgment approaches, the expert urged the Government to act without further delay.

“Prompt issuance of compliance guidance and decisive enforcement are essential to give effect to the Supreme Court’s ruling,” the expert said. “Failure to do so not only weakens legal protections for women and girls, but risks eroding public confidence in the rule of law.”

Alsalem recalled that the United Kingdom has long been regarded as a leader in addressing violence against women and girls and its consequences.

“Swift and effective implementation of this judgment would send a clear signal of the UK’s continued commitment to upholding women’s rights and the authority of its highest court,” she said.

Reem Alsalem is the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/un-expert-concerned-uk-failure-enforce-supreme-court-ruling-sex-based

February 17, 2026

Domestic Abuse Commissioner responds to police reform white paper

On Monday 26 January 2026, the government published its police reform white paper, From local to national: a new model for policing.

Responding to the white paper, Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, said:

“For too long, domestic abuse perpetrators have been able to enter and remain in our police forces with little to no consequence, breaking down trust with victims who rightly expect a robust response when they report domestic abuse.

“I have long called for the removal of officers with cautions or convictions relating to domestic abuse, and for stronger mandatory vetting standards to stop them joining in the first place. The new powers to tackle misconduct are a welcome and necessary step forward in protecting victims and survivors and rebuilding confidence in the police.

“I’m also pleased to see the introduction of more comprehensive public protection training which includes a focus on domestic abuse. Every 30 seconds the police receive an emergency call about domestic abuse, yet we know too often police forces do not get the basics right when first responding to victims. It’s critical that improvements to the frontline response from police officers, including their core skills, are looked at in the round and developed in partnership with survivors and the specialist domestic abuse sector.

“These reforms must be implemented without delay. I look forward to working with government and policing leaders to ensure these changes root out abusers from within their ranks and create a system which works for victims and survivors.”

Notes:

Details of the government white paper can be found here.
Domestic abuse accounted for one third of violent crimes in the 12 months to 30 June 2025. (ONS)
Police forces allegations of police-perpetrated domestic abuse (PPDA) over the 12 months to 31 March 2024 showed:
- 1,294 allegations of PPDA; relating to
- 899 individuals within the police workforce (0.4% of workforce including all officers, staff, PCSOs and Specials).
- The vast majority of allegations resulted in ‘No case to answer’, ‘Suspension’ and ‘Learning outcomes’, and only 4% of individuals who had allegations of PPDA made against them were dismissed. (Shifting the Scales)

https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/domestic-abuse-commissioner-responds-to-police-reform-white-paper/