The National Audit Office (NAO) has today published their report finding that the Ministry of Justice has 'made limited progress' on its Female Offender Strategy to improve outcomes for women in the criminal justice system.
Legal charity, Centre for Women's Justice, today issued the following statement on the report findings.
"The National Audit Office highlights the disappointing progress of the Female Offender Strategy, which promised so much but - despite the best efforts of many on the ground - has been hopelessly held back by a lack of investment and leadership. The strategy recognised that most women in contact with the criminal justice system are themselves victims of violence and abuse, and that for many their offending results directly from the abuse.Yet the government has not taken any action to change this appalling reality. There has been no attempt to reform law and practice to ensure women’s experience of abuse is taken into account in decisions to prosecute and convict them for offences arising from their experience of abuse, or to ensure they have effective defences. We will continue pressing the government to implement reforms, and to invest in frontline services, to ensure that victims of abuse are protected not punished."
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Holding the state to account for violence against women and girls