- Conference
- 2008 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 25 October 2007
- Decision
- Carried
Conference applauds the decision last year to forward Motion 9 ‘Definition of Violence against Women’ to National Conference and we thank the National Women’s Committee for their work in taking forward the work contained in last year’s motion. Sadly, we were all reminded in August 2007, how our legal system fails women. On 24th August 2007, the Guardian reported on two horrific domestic abuse cases, involving beating, branding and slashing and resulting only in small fines for the men found guilty. Conference is outraged by these recent examples of poor judgement. Without reference to a legal definition of domestic abuse, sentencing appears subjective and decisions seem to rest on individual views decided by those hearing the case.
We are pleased to note that police departments who follow the Home Office advice, contained in its publication ‘Lessons learned from the Domestic Violence Campaign 2006’, which covers subjects such as call handling, evidence gathering and cautioning for domestic abuse offences, are reporting an increase in the number of conviction rates. The Crown Prosecution Service also reports that there are an increasing number of specialist prosecutors working on domestic abuse cases and that overall conviction rates are higher year on year. However, increasing conviction rates will mean very little if the punishment does not fit the crime.
This hard work and commitment, together with the ordeal and courage of the victims will count for nothing without a legal definition in UK law. Without it perpetrators will continue to be under sentenced and victims will continue to live in fear of abuse and violent death.
We thank National Women’s Committee and NEC for the work they have done in forwarding this issue through Labour Link; lobbying UNISON MPs’; preparing briefings for delegates attending Labour Party Conference, but we cannot allow this campaign to slow down. Conference asks that we focus our efforts once again with a further year of planned campaigning initiatives.
Conference instructs the National Women’s Committee to work with Women’s Aid and Rights of Women and other agencies to consider a joint approach to;
1)Commencing a period of campaigning, lobbying all MP’s to support an Early Day Motion and to petition the government to enact a statutory definition of violence against women or in the alternative a general definition of domestic abuse.
2)To set up a lobbying e-petition and supporting leaflet for distribution to all members (along similar lines to the Women’s No Pay Day Petition)
3)To continue to work with the NEC and Labour Link to encourage union wide support.