Anna Firth, Member of Parliament for Southend West, met the Minister of Justice Victoria Atkins MP to discuss domestic abuse, a subject on which Anna feels passionate.
Since becoming an MP, Mrs Firth has been shocked by the number of constituents who have contacted her about domestic violence. It has particularly worried her that arrest rates in Southend-on-Sea are not in line with the rest of Essex, suggesting that some domestic abusers are not brought to justice. Anna raised this with the Minister, and they discussed the difficulties in gathering data on this issue and inconsistent sentencing tariffs.
They discussed the provisions made by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and Anna was pleased to note the further £120 million of Government funding in 2022 to ensure that safe accommodation services can provide proper support to victims. Anna was assured that this measure will ensure proper funding for victim’s healthcare, access to social workers and benefits. Firth was very pleased that Minister Atkins said she would visit Southend and hear about the difficulties faced by local victims first-hand.
Following the meeting Anna said:
“I am hugely grateful to the Minister for agreeing to see me about this immensely important issue. Violence against women and girls is unacceptable in any circumstance and I believe more must be done to help victims and prevent attacks. I am glad to have raised my concerns to her and I look forward to welcoming her to Southend to discuss these issues further. I am planning a domestic abuse conference in Southend which will be attended by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall and the Home Secretary, and I am absolutely committed to making a real difference for victims of domestic abuse in Southend.”
