SEA responds to the King’s Speech

Today the King’s Speech took place. This is an opportunity for the government to set out the legislative agenda for the year ahead.

Commenting on the measures announced in the speech, Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, said, 

“Domestic abuse, including economic abuse, is devastating the lives of victim-survivors and their families across the UK so we welcome the government’s commitment to challenging it through three criminal justice bills. But letting abusers who receive a sentence up to twelve months away with no time in prison is not justice and will only put economic abuse survivors at risk. There must be clear guidance for judges on sentencing to make sure dangerous abusers do not slip through the net and survivors are not robbed of the time they need to safely rebuild their lives.

“Economic abuse causes long-lasting damage to victim-survivors and its harmful effects are felt long after a relationship has ended, leaving survivors facing homelessness, loss of jobs and in mountains of debt. This new legislation must ensure that courts use compensation orders during sentencing to hold economic abuse perpetrators to account so that survivors get the economic justice they deserve.

“The cost-of-living crisis has been catastrophic for survivors who have been left without the financial means to escape abuse. The government must ensure the upcoming spending provides an emergency flee fund for every survivor, including those with no recourse to public funds, so they can safely escape the abuser and begin to rebuild their lives.”

ENDS