Mary has suffered domestic violence, recovered and trained to help other women. She set up Refuge4Pets to help women who are afraid to leave their pets with a violent man. They can’t find refuge for themselves with pets. Mary and a group of volunteers take in animals whilst the women and children need to know they are safe. Mary has shown an understanding of how important animals are to families and how caring for ananimal can prevent a woman seeking her own safety.
Megan was a victim of serious violence and coercive control from her then partner. After he was convicted of murdering another man, and despite evidence of her experience of abuse, Megan was prosecuted for perverting the course of justice for allegedly helping him to evade capture. At her trial, there was a hung jury; the CPS insisted on a re-trial in which she was ultimately acquitted. Megan fought her case tirelessly and has used this terrible experience to raise awareness and support the Centre for Women’s Justice’s work to press for reforms in law and practice to end the unjust criminalisation of victims of domestic abuse.
Amber is an adult survivor of child sexual exploitation and horrific abuse by grooming gangs in Rochdale. After almost a decade seeking to hold Greater Manchester Police to account for their failings – alongside two other brave survivors who brought claims alongside her – Amber secured a landmark legal settlement in April this year from the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police. In an unusual televised address, the Chief Constable personally apologised to Amber and the general public for GMP’s treatment of her and other child victims. Having secured this victory, Amber is still hoping to persuade the Crown Prosecution Service to change its practices, or to support a change in the law, so that CSE victims like her can never again be criminalised or added to a criminal indictment in circumstances where they have been groomed by adult men.
(Amber is entitled to anonymity as a victim of serious sexual offences, and Amber is the name by which she prefers to be known in any publicity about her case)
Nominees
Claire Louise-Chamberlain
Lucy Masoud
Jane Monckton-Smith
Rebecca Smith
REIGN
Raquel Rosario Sanchez