Pursuit of Perpetrators: New Legislation Targets Domestic Abuse Cases
## Government Announces Plan for Change to Address Domestic Abuse
The UK government has unveiled its Plan for Change, a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing domestic abuse by half within the next decade. The plan, backed by a £53 million investment over the next four years, focuses on identifying and managing high-risk perpetrators and collaborating with local services to ensure a coordinated response to domestic abuse.
### Targeting Perpetrators and Collaborating with Agencies
At the heart of the Plan for Change is a focus on targeting perpetrators. The government aims to stop perpetrators from changing their behavior and stopping their offending by implementing intensive one-to-one case management, using protection orders, addressing drug misuse and alcohol dependency, and providing dedicated support for victims. This approach emphasizes accountability and behavior change.
To achieve this goal, the plan involves collaboration across various agencies, including law enforcement and social services, to ensure a coordinated response to domestic abuse. The Drive Project, a significant part of the Plan for Change, is a £53 million initiative that aims to reduce domestic abuse by addressing the root causes through intensive case management and behavior change strategies.
### The Drive Project: A Comprehensive Approach to Domestic Abuse
The Drive Project, piloted since 2016, has seen significant success in reducing domestic abuse. Key aspects of the Drive Project include intensive one-to-one case management for up to 12 months, use of protection orders, addressing drug misuse and alcohol dependency, and the support of a dedicated independent domestic violence advisor.
The results of the Drive Project have been impressive, with percentages of perpetrators using physical abuse cut by 82%, sexual abuse by 88%, stalking behaviors by 75% and jealous and controlling behaviors by 73%.
### Project Vigilant: A Broader Strategy
While details about Project Vigilant's approach or outcomes are not thoroughly outlined in the provided information, it is mentioned alongside the Drive Project as part of the government's efforts to tackle domestic abuse. Both initiatives are part of a broader strategy to pursue perpetrators and prevent further harm.
### Industry Support for the Plan
Industry leaders and government officials, such as Yvette Cooper and Jess Phillips, have emphasized the importance of a perpetrator-focused approach in reducing domestic abuse. The expansion of these projects aims to enhance victim safety and support while holding perpetrators accountable. The Night Time Industries Association has also expressed support for the government's £53 million package to target the most dangerous domestic abuse perpetrators.
The government's upcoming strategy on violence against women and girls will focus on a relentless pursuit of perpetrators and shifting the burden of safety away from victims and onto the perpetrators responsible for these crimes. The strategy will also set out action to transform the system's response to violence against women and girls, including on prevention, early intervention, enforcement, and victim support.
The expansion of the Drive Project, funded by the Home Office, will see up to 15 new areas going live by March 2026, with a full roll-out across England and Wales to follow. The plan forms a central part of the government's Plan for Change, which aims to protect thousands more women and children from domestic abuse.
- The government's upcoming strategy on violence against women and girls underlines the importance of policy-and-legislation that focuses on a relentless pursuit of perpetrators and shifting the burden of safety away from victims and onto the perpetrators responsible for these crimes.
- The Drive Project, a significant part of the government's Plan for Change, is a comprehensive approach to crime-and-justice that involves politics and general-news, being a £53 million initiative aimed at reducing domestic abuse by addressing the root causes through intensive case management and behavior change strategies.
