OPINION: Abuse against women and girls takes many forms

“I couldn’t believe this could happen to someone like me.” Those were the words of a constituent who attended one of my recent advice surgeries in Finchley and Golders Green. Let’s call her Talia. She’s an educated, articulate, Jewish woman, raising beautiful children. I saw lots of myself in her.

Unlike me, she is also the survivor of domestic abuse.

She’d been subjected to coercive behaviour by her husband throughout her marriage. Domestic abuse doesn’t always show up as bruising and black eyes – it can take the form of insults, financial manipulation, and controlling behaviour, such as dictating when you can see your family and friends. This was Talia’s experience. She felt like she had done something wrong – that it was somehow her failure. After a time, she was able to leave and rebuild her life. But even after she left the relationship, she still had to encounter her abusive ex-husband in social settings.

Talia is not alone. One in four women in the UK will experience domestic abuse during their lives. It is something which affects women of all backgrounds and from all communities, including our own.

As an MP, I feel privileged that many people feel able to share their stories with me. Talia got in touch when she heard me speaking in Parliament about the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade. She wanted me to understand her experience and to share how she thinks the justice system can better support women like her.

This is not just a mission for the government, but for me personally in my role as solicitor general. As I go about my daily work, it is Talia’s story and others like hers that I hold with me.

As we marked Jewish Women’s Aid Shabbat, as part of a global 16 days of global activism against VAWG, I’m reminded of how much more there is to do.

I am fortunate to be working to make our commitment to halving VAWG a reality in my ministerial role: securing additional funding in the Autumn Budget for the Crown Prosecution Service to support Rape and Serious Sexual Offences teams and working closely with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Victims’ Commissioner to improve the outcomes of rape and sexual assault cases in the criminal justice system.

We are passing Raneem’s law, in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex-partner. This legislation will introduce a domestic violence specialist into every 999 control room and overhaul the way police forces respond to stalking and domestic abuse.

This is just the start. As we marked Jewish Women’s Aid Shabbat, as part of a global 16 days of global activism against VAWG, I’m reminded of how much more there is to do.

I’m delighted to work alongside fantastic organisations like Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA), which provides vital support tailored to the needs of women in our community. Everyone who attends shul or Jewish communal spaces will have seen their posters on the back of bathroom doors and will know that their helpline represents a lifeline. Last Friday, I joined their CEO, Sam Clifford, and members of her team outside Carmelli’s Bakery in Golders Green to help them raise awareness of the issue within our community.

Prevention means us having honest conversations around our dinner tables, and in schools and synagogues, about consent, respect and what domestic abuse can look like. We will tackle this scourge through education. As Talia reminded me, we each of us – politicians, community leaders, men and women alike – has a role to play.

• If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or are worried about someone who is, you can contact the Jewish Women’s Aid Helpline on 0808 801 0500 or the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. You can also email- sarah.sackman.mp@parliament.uk. In an emergency, call 999.

• Sarah Sackman is a justice minister and Labour MP for Finchley and Golders Green