Reporting Back: Domestic Abuse Bill

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Parliament continues to debate many other important causes and issues.

Today (April 28^th) in Parliament the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill has been debated by MPs, and the Home Secretary has committed a £3 million funding boost to support children affected by domestic abuse.

This investment will be directed to specialist services for children who have been affected by domestic abuse, including one-to-one and group counselling sessions, and early intervention schemes.

These measures will protect victims, support the mental health needs of children, heal their emotional scars and ensure they can move forwards towards a positive future.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, while staying at home is helping keep the majority of us safe, it can leave some people more vulnerable to domestic abuse, and some children witness appalling abuse carried out in their home.

For anyone who feels they are at risk of abuse, it is important to remember that there is help and support available to you, including police response, online support, helplines, refuges and other services. You are not alone.

I have provided a link below to the Government website which outlines what support is currently available to those who feel at risk of domestic abuse during this pandemic period.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-and-domestic-abuse/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-victims-of-domestic-abuse

As the MP for Norwich North I have been taking a close interest in the progress of this Bill as I know it is important to so many domestic abuse survivors and those currently suffering domestic abuse.

We saw two years ago the tragic Kerri McAuley case here in Norwich and I want to help ensure that accurate measures are in place to help prevent this heinous crime from ever happening again.