Violence against women and girls is a tragic epidemic in our country.
Luke Taylor is campaigning to clamp down on domestic violence and offer better support to stalking victims.
Violence against Women and Girls by men is a societal epidemic and it is right that parties across the spectrum treat it as such.
Luke welcomes the Government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls over this parliament, and is keen to see action taken as soon as possible to reform aspects of the law in this area to accelerate what should be a national mission of stamping out this kind of awful violence.
The Liberal Democrats are ensuring survivors of violence against women and girls are properly supported in the criminal justice process, including through mandatory training for police and prosecutors in understanding the impact of trauma on survivors.
Watch Luke's speech on violence against women and girls.
Delivered in the House of Commons on 9.1.25
Reforming Stalking Laws
Data shared with Luke via an FOI shows that in London, more than one in three stalking cases end with the victim withdrawing from the process. That is a shockingly high number and it should concern us all.
In some cases this is because they disagree with the proposed police action, but many victims have told Luke that it is also because they feel they aren’t able to provide enough evidence to pursue a proper conviction, with the burden of proof set unfathomably high to achieve a Section 4A conviction.
The current law is inconsistent and confusing, and as a result it is failing victims, letting perpetrators off the hook whilst victims continue to suffer.
The current division of stalking offences into Sections 2A and 4A just isn’t working.
In September 2024 a report was published by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and the College of Policing. This report, driven by a supercomplaint from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, has forced us to face the uncomfortable truth many of us already knew: the system is failing women and girls. And it's failing them when they need support the most.
The report explores possibly creating a single, clear offence for stalking - rather than splitting it between the confusing Sections 2A and 4A. The London Victims Commissioner has echoed those calls too.
Luke has backed this proposal and is calling on the government to do the same - to ensure that stalking victims can be reassured they are able to seek the justice they deserve.
Ensure that survivors of violence against women and girls and domestic abuse get the support they deserve by: • Fully implementing the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, with protections for all survivors regardless of nationality or immigration status. • Expanding the number of refuges and rape crisis centres to meet demand. • Ensuring sustainable funding for services to support survivors of domestic abuse, with a particular focus on community-based and specialist ‘by and for’ services. • Ensuring that survivors are properly supported within the criminal justice system
For A Fair Deal - Liberal Democrat Manifesto 2024