SafeNet welcomes the new Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which, after 4 years in the making, finally became UK law at the end of April.
The Act strengthens protections for victims and survivors. Recognising children as victims in their own right. Providing statutory support to survivors via a duty on local authorities to fund safe accommodation. Along with numerous other developments, protections, and safety measures.
We celebrate the victims and survivors who had the courage to share their lived experience of domestic abuse, the determined DA campaigners, the many domestic abuse organisations, and statutory, voluntary, and 3rd sector partner agencies and stakeholders across the UK who contributed so much to the development of this legislation, who have supported change and equality which will make a great difference to so many lives.
And yet there remains more work to do. SafeNet will continue to support all women’s rights to protection, safety, and equality, including the rights of migrant women who were not covered by this Act, and the rights of women who are stalked and harassed to benefit from a stalking and harassment perpetrator register as they were, in the end, denied those protections. Our work to achieve full and equal rights for all women continues.
But for now, as a provider of DA support services and on behalf of refuge residents and community clients of SafeNet services, we welcome the new measures we do have and the funding support for accommodation services that will enable the everyday work we do to keep victims and survivors safe and provide much-needed stability to our services.
Helen Gauder
Director, SafeNet
