Violence against women and girls is 'endemic' in London – investigation highlights reasons why
There is 'endemic' violence against women and girls in the capital, experts have said at an investigation into gender-based violence by The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee.
The investigation was called after the murders of Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman, Sarah Everard, Maria Rawlings, Sabina Nessa and many other women in the city.
It's particularly looking at youth violence, with previous research by the Youth Endowment Fund finding 16-19 years old is the most common age for perpetration of rape and serious sexual offences, and that 52% of perpetrators of child sexual abuse and exploitation were children aged 10-17, with the most common age being 14 years old.
According to Ellie Softley, head of education at charity Everyone's Invited, 'something is going fundamentally wrong' within safeguarding approaches at schools.
'For a lot of young people,' Softley continued, 'safeguarding is not fit for purpose.
'Loads of young people that we speak to say that the actual process of reporting and going to a safeguarding leader at school is more traumatising than the actual assault that happened to them.'
Experts such as Professor Jessica Ringrose, from the Faculty of Education and Society at University College London, have long called for better relationship and sex education. She told the assembly that, 'It's often the most poorly resourced subject area.'
Janaya Walker, head of public affairs at the End Violence Against Women coalition told the investigation that male violence towards women 'is a really serious issue.
'It feels as though lots of services are really struggling and young women and girls are struggling in terms of getting access to support. It is bleak in many ways.
'In terms of the picture of VAWG in London, it remains the case that it is endemic.'
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan’s draft Police and Crime Plan 2025-29 plans to 'bring more perpetrators of VAWG to justice and increase preventative efforts to tackle misogyny.'
A spokesperson for him told the BBC: 'The mayor is clear that there is a national epidemic of violence against women and girls and it must be treated with the utmost urgency both by our police and society as a whole.
'Sadiq is leading from the front in London by championing a public health approach to tackling violence against women and girls.
'However, there is clearly more work still to do which is why the mayor will be publishing a refreshed VAWG strategy later this year to build on the progress that has been achieved.'
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