Contents

Context

Violence Against Women and Girls has always been a concern, but in recent years and due to greater awareness and prominence of these targeted crimes, a name has been put to this abuse and this has enabled further progress to take place

For example, an increase in the publication of data around VAWG by the authorities and the increase in VAWG-dedicated organisations bringing these issues to the forefront. The Home Office created the VAWG Strategy and Enough Campaign to address this increasing concern.

Sarah Everard was killed on 4 March 2021 in London, by a male police officer. Sabina Nessa was killed on 17 September 2021 in Greenwich, by a male garage worker. Both murders took place in neighbouring boroughs and by men, targeted at women.

These two particularly prominent and local murders (or ‘femicides,’ i.e., the murder of a woman or girl on account of her gender) have increased the awareness of VAWG and impacted feelings of safety for women and girls. 

MOPAC Public Attitude Survey

MOPAC’s latest public attitudes survey showed that females are: 

  • Less likely to feel safe walking alone after dark, at 67% 
  • 1 in 5 women report unwanted sexual attention in the last year 
  • 27% of those felt harassed, threatened, or fearful and 10% felt disgust or shame. 
  • Of those who experienced harassment, 63% changed their behaviour in some way as a result, such as taking different routes or changing how they dressed.

Bexley Domestic Abuse Services 2024 Survey

A January 2024 Survey across Bexley revealed similar feelings; respondents were asked to rate how safe they felt from VAWG in Bexley (with 1 being extremely concerned and 10 being not concerned). 

The average response was 5.89. This was a slight reduction from our 2023 survey, which resulted in a 5.98 average safety score.

In the year of 2022, there was an increase in the number of VAWG offences reported in Bexley, with a total of 14,168 reports to the police which may be considered VAWG.* 

  • Domestic Abuse Incidents – 4185
  • Domestic Abuse Offences – 2810
  • Domestic Abuse Violence with Injury – 659
  • Other Sexual Offences – 317
  • Rape – 192

*The following offences will include non-VAWG crimes also. For example, Violence Against the Person might be motivated by gender, but not always:

  • Violence Against the Person – 6,005 (this includes anything from common assault to grievous bodily harm)
  • Violence without Injury – 4,137
  • Violence with Injury – 1,864
  • Homicide – 4

The increase in reporting may not necessarily reflect an increase in VAWG, but possibly an increase in awareness of and confidence in reporting gender-based abuses and crimes. Nevertheless, these statistics demonstrate an increasing need for authorities to respond to VAWG.

In 2022, the police reported an increase of 0.5% in punitive action that took place. Despite Bexley having less VAWG offences, Bexley respondents rated how well the MPS responded to VAWG lower than in neighbouring boroughs at 49%, compared with Greenwich (at 59%), Bromley (55%) and Barking and Dagenham (61%).1

Comparatively, Bexley is a safer borough from VAWG than other London boroughs.

Domestic Abuse has always been the highest reported form of VAWG. Domestic Incidents continue to increase monthly, from an average of 272 incidents per month in 2018 to 638 in 2024.

As a result of this, there are pre-existing dedicated resources, personnel, and services1 to domestic abuse and a Domestic Abuse Strategy, which new VAWG personnel and this Strategy will operate alongside and complement.

1 MPS Crime Data Dashboard

2 Bexley Domestic Abuse Services