Cambridgeshire and Peterborough PCC hosts first-ever Violence Against Women and Girls Prevention event

Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston has joined forces with leading safety partners at an event focused entirely on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The Commissioner’s ‘VAWG Prevention’ event, held on Friday (4th April), is the first of its kind in the county and showcased the trailblazing projects underway to meet local and national priorities to increase the safety of women and girls. 

The event, supported by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Partnership, enabled colleagues from statutory and non-statutory agencies to share their experiences and ideas on how to prevent VAWG online, in people’s homes, in public spaces and in workplaces.

Delegates scrutinised local successes to unpick why these projects were working well in Cambridgeshire and current challenges including what was missing and what was not working as planned. They also discussed opportunities to pilot initiatives from other areas.

More than 70 people attended the event with representation from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Local Authorities, Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs), education, health, safeguarding, community organisations involved in delivering VAWG prevention initiatives and the full range of victim support services. 

VAWG has been officially classed as a national threat by government with a refreshed national framework bringing the police response to this offending in line with counter terrorism. At least one in 12 women are victims of VAWG every year with more than one million VAWG-related crimes recorded in 2022/23, accounting for 20% of all police recorded crime. The scale of the issue is likely to be much higher as many victims do not report their experiences to the police.

VAWG is a priority in the Commissioner’s new Police and Crime Plan under the Early Intervention and Prevention pillar and he has vowed to work with partners to embed a preventative approach within the workplace and communities.

This approach has already produced a raft of innovative projects including the highly successful Businesses Against Abuse (BAA) scheme – showcased during the event - which has seen more than 300 businesses across Cambridgeshire make a pledge to provide a safe space for customers in need.

Darryl said: “Violence against women and girls is at epidemic levels. We owe it to survivors and future victims to do better and this was the whole premise of the conference.

“No single agency can turn the tide on violence alone. We must adopt a whole-system approach, and this involves working with partners from all sectors and most importantly victims themselves to understand what needs to change.

“Prevention is the golden thread running throughout the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy 2024-27 and indeed in my own Police and Crime Plan and it was encouraging to see the passion and commitment at the conference towards working collaboratively to bring change.

“Today’s event identified a wealth of opportunities to improve the way we identify victims and intercept and arrest perpetrators to prevent further harm, and I am looking forward to progressing these ideas with our partners.”

Speaking at the event, Stagecoach East Managing Director, Darren Roe said: “Our Training Team’s work is a hugely important part of what we do - starting everyone’s careers in the bus industry off in the right way.

“Over the past year, my colleagues Ian De Chastelain and Simon Woolard have taken that to the next level, working tirelessly to tackle the local scourge of violence against women and girls, alongside the Businesses Against Abuse team. We are all so proud of their work.”

Both recently received a national award for their outstanding work in training the next generation of drivers to meet the highest standards of safety and comfort for passengers, and particularly for their work in tackling local violence against women and girls, through the Businesses Against Abuse scheme.

“It has been such a privilege to have been involved in this VAWG Prevention Event”, said Norah Al Ani, Director of Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre.

“It has created a space for us to come together not only to focus on prevention and stopping harm but thinking about how we create cultures of respect, safety and equality and where violence has no place. When we unite our voices, efforts, and resources, we can create a world where women and girls are not just surviving but thriving. By educating, empowering, and inspiring change, we can create a future free from violence for women and girls everywhere.”

Norah and her colleagues have worked in partnership with the Constabulary and Cambridge Business Against Crime (CAMBAC) to deliver crucial training to people working in the retail and night-time economy.

DCI Sherrie Nash, Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Head of Crime and Vulnerability added: “Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for Cambridgeshire Constabulary and we are committed to creating safer spaces and relentlessly pursuing perpetrators to improve trust and confidence. 

“This is evidenced, amongst others, in the work we have undertaken through Operation Soteria, dedicated visible patrols in hotspot areas, education and prevention programmes and continued investment in resources and training.

“Policing is clear on its role to prevent VAWG with a whole system approach and today’s event, bringing together professionals and those advocating for our communities, really showcases the strength of allegiance to make positive change.”