8. Plaid Cymru Debate: Stalking

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:55 pm on 2 February 2022.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 5:55, 2 February 2022

Thank you. That's a very helpful additional contribution to the debate today, working obviously in terms of the police tackling domestic violence at every level, including social media online violence, which it often follows and is included in the stalking incidents that we've heard about, and certainly working with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales and our UK Government Ministers on these issues, and the police as well.

But I just want to say that people have mentioned training and education, high-quality appropriate teaching and learning. Relationships and sexuality education will of course play a very important role in this, and that's why the RSE mandatory requirement within the new curriculum, starting in September next year, is so important, because the change has to come with our children and young people to highlight the importance of those safe, equal and healthy relationships and that abusive behaviour is also always wrong.

The revised strategy has to be ambitious. It is going to be achievable. We've extended the consultation to 18 February, so points that have been expressed today will be very important. We've got to hear what the wider people of Wales think. We've got to create a society where women are treated as equals and not subjected to violence and abuse on such an awful scale.

I'd just like to finally say that we have a campaign this month. It's called 'Call Out Only'. It aims to help people identify behaviours associated with street harassment. It acknowledges experiences of women and girls and also recognises where that can cause fear, alarm and distress. But it does call on the public to call out and challenge assumptions about harassment, particularly that harassment  against women and girls, often wrongly, has been seen as being harmless and they've got to call it out with their peers, friends and colleagues. So, look out for this 'Call Out Only' campaign. That will be the message.

And as I've said, we do support the Lords amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to include misogyny as a hate crime and it's great that we can get that backing here today, isn't it, from the Senedd? So, supporting that amendment.

We are talking specifically about stalking today, but we have to make this clear, that this is part of a spectrum of behaviour that particularly affects women and girls and our response must be comprehensive if it's to be effective, and I want to be held to account on this. We must unite when violence is on our street, we must unite for change and we must unite to allow everyone to live fear free. Diolch yn fawr.