Domestic abuse victims are being silenced in the general election

Katy Ward, The Independent

Boris Johnson can consider Tuesday 29 October a landmark day, with MPs voting to support his 12 December General Election. Not surprisingly, the news took centre stage. But amid the political noise, it looks likely that one often marginalised group may again be silenced.

Outside the third sector, there has been little mention of the one in four women and one in six men who, according to charity Living Without Abuse, will be the victims of domestic abuse during their lifetime.

Yet these are the very individuals whose safety could be in jeopardy if the election timing puts a halt to desperately needed legislation.

The government had been on the verge of passing what had been described as the “landmark” domestic abuse bill. It was intended to clarify the law surrounding domestic violence and provide additional funding to support victims of physical, emotional and financial abuse, and other forms of controlling behaviour. With violence-related homicides at a high, the legislation seemed overdue.

Yet, in a sign of things to come, the bill was a casualty of Johnson’s unlawful decision to prorogue the Commons in September, which essentially sent the bill to political purgatory.

And just as 29 October was a turning point for Boris Johnson (whether in a positive or negative fashion remains to be seen), the date also looks set to be a defining moment for the fate of the beleaguered bill, which made major headway and was potentially paralysed on the same day and in chambers meters apart.

If the Lords approves the election date (as it certainly will), parliament will be dissolved at one minute after midnight on 6 November, which would leave little over a week for the domestic violence bill to be ushered through.

Such a timeline makes this unlikely, given this administration’s already colourful record where issues of intimidation are concerned. It was just five weeks ago that Johnson caused outrage with a rallying cry “to get Brexit done” in the name of murdered MP and ardent Remainer Jo Cox, while seemingly dismissing threats against MPs as “humbug”.

The timing of the delay is especially painful as campaign groups such as Women’s Aid and Refuge argue that incidents of domestic violence traditionally rocket during the festive period, fuelled by alcohol, financial pressures and family tensions.

It’s no surprise then that legal process servers Diem Legal report a 30 per cent increase in non-molestation orders resulting from incidents over the festive period.

So what next? The worst-case scenario would be for the bill to fail when parliament enters “purdah” — the 25-day period before an election in which MPs abstain from passing major legislation.

Another possibility has been ventured by campaign organisations such as Safelives, which argue that the domestic abuse bill ought to be written into the election manifestos of all parties.

Even if the bill does go ahead, another question needs to be asked. Does the bill, in its current incarnation, go far enough to protect the vulnerable?

Any legislation to increase protection for victims is certainly welcome and there has been widespread praise for moves such as banning abusers from cross-examining victims in court.

Yet other campaign groups highlighted missed opportunities. For instance, as charity Surviving Economic Abuse points out, the draft bill could offer greater protection to individuals with an uncertain immigration status and make financial abuse a standalone crime.