Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 2:06 pm on 1 March 2023.
I thank the Minister for that response. I'm sure it was concerning for you, like me, to read that there were 24 members of staff, not just police officers, having inquiries into them because of cases of domestic violence, sexual misconduct or violence against women in North Wales Police. We're expecting reports from other police forces relatively soon too. Of course, the report was commissioned in light of the appalling case of David Carrick from the Metropolitan police, but we won't forget the appalling case of Sarah Everard either. And it follows a particular complaint made by the Centre for Women's Justice and the the Bureau of Investigative Journalism back in 2020, which showed that police forces weren't carrying full inquiries into cases of domestic violence and abuse that involved the police. The Welsh Government funds part of the police activity here in Wales, such as PCSOs, so what steps is the Government here taking in order to ensure that the employment process is entirely transparent and thorough and that women in Wales can have confidence in the individuals represented in our police forces?