1 The Committee's inquiry
1. On 26 July 2007 we announced our intention to conduct a broad-ranging inquiry into domestic violence, including so-called "honour" killings and forced marriage. We decided to focus in particular on:
The implementation of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 and related legislation, especially in terms of increased reporting and convictions and whether greater support is being provided for victims;
Public education and awareness-raising;
Police powers and legal protections for victims;
Criminal and civil justice processes, including the Specialist Domestic Violence Court Programme;
Support for victims, including finance and refuge services;
Perpetrator programmes;
Multi-agency approaches, and what barriers exist to their effective operation.
2. We set out to hear at first hand from agencies and organisations working with victims, and with victims and survivors themselves. We were especially keen to involve individuals and groups who might not normally be reached by select committee inquiries. To this end, we:
a) Held an opening seminar, attended by a range of key stakeholders, during which we heard from survivors of domestic violence and forced marriage;
b) Visited a family justice centre in Croydon and spoke to victims and relatives; visited the Government's Forced Marriage Unit; visited a women's refuge in Colchester; visited the Southall Black Sisters in Southall; visited the National Domestic Violence Helpline in Tower Hill, and the Ashiana Project in Leytonstone to speak to "honour"-based violence and forced marriage survivors; and visited a refuge, observed a multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) and met representatives of the Probation Service in Wolverhampton;
c) Took oral evidence on six occasions from witnesses including survivors of domestic violence, so-called "honour"-based violence and forced marriage. A full list of those who gave evidence is annexed;
d) Ran an online consultation to give victims and survivors of domestic and "honour"-based violence and forced marriage, who wished or needed to remain anonymous, the chance to share their experiences. The eConsultation ran for six weeks during January and February 2008, and received over 240 postings. A summary of the eConsultation is contained in the annex to this report, and an analysis of postings from the eConsultation is contained in the volume of evidence published with this report;
e) Considered 83 written submissions from government and public bodies, voluntary sector agencies, and individuals.
3. We would like to thank the Specialist Advisers appointed to assist us with the inquiry: Davina James-Hanman, Director of the Greater London Domestic Violence Project and Professor Marianne Hester of Bristol University. We would also like to thank the Specialist Adviser we appointed specifically to assist with our eConsultation: Dr Nazia Khanum, Director of Equality in Diversity, who was supported by eQuality Networks. We are most grateful to all the organisations and individuals who gave their time in hosting visits, coming to speak to us in person or supplying us with written evidence. Our particular thanks go to all the courageous individuals who shared with us their own experiences: those who we met on visits, those who gave evidence to us in person, and all those who spoke to us online through the eConsultation.
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