Lord Dholakia, speaking during a debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill raised concerns about how instances of domestic abuse are appropriately tackled. Welcoming new legislation, that is, “designed to increase awareness of domestic abuse”, and to, “provide[s] strengthened support for victims with an effective justice system”, Lord Dholakia warned about the prevalence of domestic abuse which increased in the first lockdown, as we head into our second full lockdown in England. Added to this, as a multi-cultural society, Lord Dholakia made a plea to, “recognise that domestic violence is often perpetrated in communities with different cultural practises”. “We need to ensure”, he affirmed, “that local authorities and other agencies are aware of specific and special issues affecting some members of our communities”.
Lord Dholakia also pointed out another “ugly feature of life in our society – online-facilitated child sexual abuse and exploitation”, that he strongly condemned, as he noted how problems such as gambling also added to worsening domestic abuse. “Very few such problems are reflected publicly”, he noted, and sadly, “individuals suffer in silence”. Further issues surrounding domestic violence include, “the question of marriages which lack legal status in this country”. “Authorities”, Lord Dholakia warned, “must be aware of the need for public education on such matters” and ensure, “probation and social services are adequately staffed and trained to recognise such practises in our communities”.
Considering how justice is delivered and best serves the interests of victims and wider society as a whole, Lord Dholakia also raised concerns about “crime statistics in our police forces”. “Public confidence is shaped by the quality of service we provide in our communities”, Lord Dholakia observed, as he cited damaging statistics on crime recording. These statistics showed that, “in the past 12-month period reviewed by inspectors, the Manchester police force had recorded 77.7% of reported crimes, a drop of 11.3% from 2018”. “Shockingly”, further statistics for the same police force showed that an estimated “one in five of all crimes and one in four violent crimes were not recorded” at all.
Lord Dholakia believed these issues only added to the problems affecting how domestic abuse is dealt with as a crime. “This is a matter of serious concern”, he stated. Questioning the Minister on how wide-spread under-recording is, Lord Dholakia asked, “[w]ill the Minister investigate practises in the remaining forces around the underreporting of crimes?”, as he asked rhetorically, “[h]ow can we put any faith in crime statistics when we are told that crime is down?”
Lord Dholakia also forensically questioned the role of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and police commissioners over the issue of crime statistics. He underlined that the CPS was set up to “determine whether it was in the public interest to prosecute”, as he enquired, “was the CPS brought into discussions or was this a unilateral action by our police not to record?” Highlighting previous concerns over low prosecution rates for serious crimes, “such as rape and violence”, Lord Dholakia lamented pithily, “it is obvious that such cases never reached the stage where courts could determine innocence or guilt”.
Continuing, Lord Dholakia asked drily, had police and crime commissioners also contributed to this terrible situation by, “taking their eyes off this unacceptable practise”? Added to the seriousness of the situation was the fact that, “victims of violence have often missed counselling and support services because their complaint was not recorded”. “How can we”, Lord Dholakia observed, “put any faith in British crime statistics if this is how matters are being dealt with?”
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Is Lord Dholakia going to defend Bharat and PM Modi against the 100 MPs and Lords who have shown misplaced loyalties to anarchists in the ongoing farmer’s protests?
It is the sad state of affairs that is a G10 nation in the 21st-century one has to come to cope with domestic violence when everyone is undergoing the worst effects of the pandemic. There is no clear cut solution however it is up to all the social workers, enforcement, and front-line staff as well as the wider community to detect and stop such acts from taking place