Attorney General visits Sheffield women's refuge: 'Survivors of abuse need a system that works for them and not against them'
The Attorney General says her resolve to tackle violence against women and girls is “renewed” after visiting a refuge in South Yorkshire.
MP Ellie Reeves, who was appointed to the role in July, spoke to charity workers and victim survivors during a visit to a Sheffield Women’s Aid refuge yesterday.
Ms Reeves told The Yorkshire Post: “I have spent many years speaking to victim survivors, (with them) often saying they feel the system works against them not for them. That’s not right. That’s why I’ve made tackling violence against women and girls my top priority. It’s something that as Attorney General I will continue to work relentlessly on.
“Speaking to victim survivors at the refuge has renewed my resolve to take this work forward because of (women’s) bravery and courage in coming forward - they deserve to be listened to, they deserve to be supported every step of the way and they deserve to have a system that works for them and not against them.”
Ms Reeves said change was being piloted in Yorkshire, with the region selected for an initiative aimed at transforming the support that domestic abuse victims receive as their cases progress through the criminal justice process.
The region was also among the pilot areas for the Early Victims’ Right to Review scheme, which was rolled out nationally from July. It means victims of rape and sexual assault across England and Wales who face having their cases dropped have the right to ask for a review by a different prosecutor before a final decision is made.
Ms Reeves said yesterday: “I want to make sure that we are fully supporting women who have suffered domestic abuse and sexual violence.”