6. Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: The Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:06 pm on 7 December 2021.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 5:06, 7 December 2021

Thank you very much to Sarah Murphy, and also thank you for drawing attention to the very good practice in Bridgend with the perpetrator scheme. Just recognising the importance of—I mean, it's a statutory duty for local authorities to be delivering, five years on from the legislation coming into force, but working in partnership and to recognise that this is something fundamental in terms of how we address this.

I will take the opportunity just to respond not in answer to Sarah Murphy, but to a question that was raised with me earlier on as well by Sioned Williams. We're very disappointed about the Law Commission's report on hate crime today, the fact that they haven't recommended that sex or gender be added as a protected characteristic in terms of our call for misogyny to be recognised. I'm very disappointed about other decisions not to add age as a protected characteristic in hate crime laws, and include also people who are homeless, sex workers or alternative sub-cultures. So, we realise we've got to make our representations to the UK Government, but I'd like to assure Sarah Murphy that we are working very closely with non-devolved partners in police, as is Bridgend council, and thank the local authority for taking the initiative and being ahead in terms of what we want to achieve in the strategy.