Oral Answers to Questions

Anna Sabine Excerpts

Tuesday 28th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Nicholas Dakin]

The armed forces covenant affects us all. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service ensures that veterans’ issues are properly addressed with the individuals concerned, to give them the proper support that they need.

[Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset) (LD)]

9. What steps she is taking to support survivors of domestic abuse and violence against women through the criminal justice system.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Sarah Sackman)]

This Government are committed to supporting victims and survivors of violence against women and girls. These are abhorrent crimes. We are therefore funding the rape and sexual abuse support fund to the tune of £26 million, as well as funding independent domestic and sexual violence advocates. We are also strengthening the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner to improve accountability where those victims’ needs are not being met.

[Anna Sabine]

A constituent of mine from Somerset was seriously sexually assaulted in another county more than two years ago. Despite reporting the assault in 2022, she has been given a court date in December 2025. She told me that the legal process, involving both the courts and the relevant police service, has been more traumatising than the incident itself. What better support can we offer women who find themselves stuck in these processes for such lengths of time?