2005

A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases

This report documents the largest and most up to date study of attrition in reporting rape in the UK.

The study involved prospective tracking of 3,500 rape cases through the criminal justice system, supplemented by data from 228 complainants and 120 professionals.

The results show an ongoing decline in the conviction rate for reported rape cases, with Home Office figures reaching an all-time low of 5.6 per cent in 2002.

Three-quarters of the sample reported to the police. However, 80% of these cases did not proceed beyond the police stage due to a combination of no criming, evidential issues and victims withdrawing their support from the criminal justice process. Only a minority of cases reached the trial stage, and here an acquittal was the more likely outcome, especially with respect to adults. Alcohol was implicated in a high proportion of cases but drugs were involved in relatively few.

The extremely low conviction rate suggests there is a chasm between complainants' expectations of the criminal justice process and what it actually delivers. However, in identifying six attrition pints, and the issues associated with them, this study finds that attrition can be conceived of as a series of smaller gaps, each of which could be addressed through targeted interventions.

Available to view at the Home Office website.

See Project: Understanding of Attrition, Decreasing Early Withdrawals and Developing Best Practice for Reporting Rape

 

Available from: The Home Office. Email: publications.rds@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Authors: Liz Kelly, Jo Lovett, Linda Regan

What a Waste: The Case for an Integrated Violence Against Women Strategy

Commissioned by the Women's National Commission (WNC), this puts forward an argument for an integrated, long-term government-led strategy for addressing violence against women and girls. Analysis was undertaken of the most recent targets and initiatives of all government departments in order to assess the extent to which gender equality and violence against women are mainstreamed.

The document includes information on:

• The prevalence of violence against women;
• The connections between different forms of violence and abuse;
• The costs of violence;
• The impacts of violence on women and girls;
  -Violence against women as an issue of human rights and equality;
• The current government approach to violence against women;
• Examples of strategic approaches

The final section outlines the basic elements such a strategy should encompass, including core aims and approaches, as well as identifying some of the key benefits to government and potential stakeholders.
On 28th February 2005 WNC, supported by Amnesty International UK, launched What a Waste at Portcullis House. A range of speakers for the voluntary and statutory sectors supported the call for a strategy and Harriet Harman, the Solicitor General, responded on behalf of the government. As a direct result Liz Kelly was invited to debate the issues on Women's Hour with Baroness Scotland, the Minister who carries the brief on both domestic violence and rape and sexual assault. The underlying research is underpinning ongoing work by the WNC to inform an audit of departmental responses year on year.

Available to view at the WNC website.

See Project: Violence Against Women Strategy

See Campaigns: End Violence Against Women Coalition

See Report: Making the Grade? An Independent analysis of Government initiatives on violence against women

Available from: Women's National Commission (WNC) Email: wnc@dti.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.thewnc.org.uk

Authors: Liz Kelly, Jo Lovett

Briefing document on strategic approaches to addressing violence against women

This work involved locating countries with a national strategy or Plan of Action for addressing violence against women, and canvassing the views of those in the women's NGO sector and in government about their effectiveness in dealing with this issue.

The document examines:

• UK policy development on violence against women;
• Examples of national strategies or Plans of Action which have been implemented or are under development;
• Plans of Action in the context of the advancement of women and gender equality;
• Strategies and Plans of Action in practice;
• How inclusive the current strategies and plans are;
• Positive impacts and the limitations of a national strategy or Plan of Action.

See Project; National Violence Against Women Strategies.

Currently an internal document for Amnesty International.

Author: Jo Lovett

Fertile Fields: Trafficking in Persons in Central Asia

This report is the result of a survey conducted for the International Organistion on Migration (IOM). The survey collected data on trafficking to and from the five Central Asian Republics: Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The report explores;

• Definitions of trafficking, in particular UN definitions;
• The extent and organisation of trafficking in Central Asia
• Estimating the scale of trafficking in the region;
• The links between labour migration and trafficking in persons;
• Responses to trafficking;
• Social, economic and political contexts in which trafficking occurs;
• Recommendations on counter-trafficking activities.

 

Available to view at the IOM website.

See Project: Survey of Trafficking in Persons in Central Asia

Available from: International Organisation for Migration www.iom.int E-mail: Publications@iom.int and the Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit £11.00 plus £1.00 p&p

Author: Liz Kelly

Prevention not Prediction? A preliminary evaluation of the Metropolitan Police Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Model (SPECSS)

This is the final report that explores the findings from an evaluation of the domestic violence risk assessment process piloted by the police in London and West Yorkshire.

The project evaluated the effect of the ACPO risk assessment model by assessing whether it;

• Complies with the ACPO guidelines;
• Addresses victims needs in terms of risk;
• Compliments safety planning;
• Can be managed with police force limitations;
• Can be applied irrespective of geography, community or policing variables.

See Project: ACPO Risk Assessment Evaluation

Available from: Centre for the Study of Safety and Wellbeing, University of Warwick (and CWASU)

ACPO_PreventionnotPrediction2005.pdf (download acrobat reader)

Authors: Catherine Humphreys, Ravi K. Thiara, Linda Regan, Jo Lovett, Lorna M Dubois, Andy Gibson

Domestic violence and substance use: overlapping issues in separate services?

This briefing summarieses findings from a one-year research porject, jointly funded by the Home Office and the Greater London Authority (GLA), which explored the overlap between domestic violence and substance use by men and women who are accessing services in these sectors.

See Project: The Links Between Domestic Violence and Substance Misuse

Both the Briefing Report and the Full Report are available to view below.

Available from: Greater London Authority, City Hall, The Queen's Walk,London SE1 2AA Website: www.london.gov.uk And CWASU

MoL_DV_SubstanceUse2005(2).pdf (download acrobat reader)

UNIWARWICKFinalReportDV_SubstanceUse2005(2).pdf (download acrobat reader)

Authors: Catherine Humphreys, Ravi K. Thiara, Linda Regan

TOP