We share the rage and sadness at the news of the death of Sabina Nessa. It is dreadful that her life has been taken away in such a horrific way.
Sabina was a young teacher, and our thoughts and love are with her friends and family her colleagues and the children in the school that she taught.
Women should be safe whenever they are in the workplace at home in public spaces. It is an outrage that another woman has been taken from us in such a violent way.
Sadly, her death is not an isolated incident but part of a catalogue of violence against women. According to the Femicide Census 2009-2018, in the UK a woman is killed by a man every three days. The figures of femicide have hardly changed in four decades and until we educate young boys it never will. Always remember this is not about murder it’s about the notion of power and control that ultimately leads to murder of women and girls.
According to the ONS, in the year to March 2020, 207 women were killed. Violence against women and girls must be treated with urgency, gravity and the importance that it deserves. We demand a whole system approach by Government, Medway Council and Kent Police to address the continuance of gender based violence. Sabina‘s devastating death has also revealed a difference in the treatment of male violence against women. Reports of her death had not been on the same levels of others. Victims from black communities do not receive the same attention and support. This is unacceptable and it has to change, her death is as shocking as that of any other woman and right now, black women and girls in our communities are feeling frightened and vulnerable and the headlines and TV coverage should reflect this.
Last week’s HMICFRS report into the police response to violence against women and girls said:
- There should be a radical refocus and a shift in the priority given to violence against women and girls by the police and all partners, including wraparound tailored support for victims,
- Chief constables should review and ensure that there are consistently high standards in the response to violence against women and girls including dealing with breaches of non-molestation orders, using Clare’s law to protect potential domestic violence victims and identifying and managing the most dangerous violence against women and girls.
Will you ensure that Medway Council and Kent police work together to combat and prioritise violence against women and girls, including committing to ensuring this includes educating our children that violence against women and girls is and always will be unacceptable?
Minutes:
“We share the rage and sadness at the news of the death of Sabina Nessa. It is dreadful that her life has been taken away in such a horrific way.
Sabina was a young teacher, and our thoughts and love are with her friends and family her colleagues and the children in the school that she taught.
Women should be safe whenever they are in the workplace at home in public spaces. It is an outrage that another woman has been taken from us in such a violent way.
Sadly, her death is not an isolated incident but part of a catalogue of violence against women. According to the Femicide Census 2009-2018, in the UK a woman is killed by a man every three days. The figures of femicide have hardly changed in four decades and until we educate young boys it never will. Always remember this is not about murder it’s about the notion of power and control that ultimately leads to murder of women and girls.
According to the ONS, in the year to March 2020, 207 women were killed. Violence against women and girls must be treated with urgency, gravity and the importance that it deserves. We demand a whole system approach by Government, Medway Council and Kent Police to address the continuance of gender based violence. Sabina‘s devastating death has also revealed a difference in the treatment of male violence against women. Reports of her death had not been on the same levels of others. Victims from black communities do not receive the same attention and support. This is unacceptable and it has to change, her death is as shocking as that of any other woman and right now, black women and girls in our communities are feeling frightened and vulnerable and the headlines and TV coverage should reflect this.
Last week’s HMICFRS report into the police response to violence against women and girls said:
- There should be a radical refocus and a shift in the priority given to violence against women and girls by the police and all partners, including wraparound tailored support for victims,
- Chief constables should review and ensure that there are consistently high standards in the response to violence against women and girls including dealing with breaches of non-molestation orders, using Clare’s law to protect potential domestic violence victims and identifying and managing the most dangerous violence against women and girls.
Will you ensure that Medway Council and Kent police work together to combat and prioritise violence against women and girls, including committing to ensuring this includes educating our children that violence against women and girls is and always will be unacceptable?”
Councillor Gulvin thanked Councillor Howcroft-Scott for her question. He said that in addition to the terrible death of Sabina Nessa there were many other similar tragedies that could have been mentioned. Councillor Gulvin said he wholeheartedly agreed that until young boys were taught that violence against women and girls was totally unacceptable it would be very difficult to tackle the issue.There was a need, to support parents to enable them to give this guidance to young boys and this could perhaps be an area to be looked at by a Council Task Group.
The Government was beginning to take action in this area. In July 2021, it had published a paper ‘Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls’. One particularly frightening statistic within the report was that for 84% of victims aged 16-59, who had experienced rape since the age of 16, the perpetrator was known to them, 44% being a partner or ex-partner, 4% a family member 12% a friend, 10% a date and 15% another known person.
Action was also being taken locally. Medway Council was working with partners in Kent Police and the Kent Community Safety Partnership and Medway’s Community Safety team was embedded within the Community Safety Unit at Medway Police station. There was also a joint venture, the Medway Taskforce, that involved the Council and a number of partners.
The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) was currently collating information to enable development of a new strategic assessment. Through the CSP and led by the Taskforce, officers within a number of Medway Council departments, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Violence Reduction Unit had commenced a programme of Safety in Action.
Safety in Action involved education about healthy choices and healthy lives across Medway secondary schools. 1,600 students had so far attended a course. The CSU had been active within the national operations sector, which looked at tackling knife crime through regular weapon sweeps and knife operations at public sites, such as train stations and in retail areas. The CSU supported close links internally with investigators to ensure seamless evidence capture, thereby increasing the chance of successful prosecutions.