Priti Patel recently unveiled plans to clamp down on those who harass or attack women and girls, with measures including a £5 million investment to improve safety for women at night.
Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins called the plan a “really radical document” that could lead to a “decade of change,” but Patel has also faced significant backlash.
Campaigners expressed disappointment that the measures didn’t go far enough, particularly in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard. Dame Vera Baird, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, called the blueprint a “hotch potch with no money whatsoever” that could barely scratch the surface of a far-reaching problem.
“We are at a very, very low point and looked for something really substantial but this looks under-funded and fragmentary.”
What do you think of the new plans? Could they really help women, or are they not sufficient to deal with a much bigger problem? Let us know in the comments.
Yesterday’s Talking Point: What do you think of the new rule for nightclubs?
Opinion was split over the requirement for people to be double-vaccinated before entering a nightclub.
Some thought it would be a much better idea to protect everyone, but others thought it infringed upon personal liberties.
