The Home Office’s response to the growing issue of violence against women and girls (VAWG) has been criticised by the UK‘s spending watchdog, which has labelled it ineffective.
A report published by the National Audit Office (NAO) on Friday highlights that the department has failed to lead a coherent, whole-system approach to tackling the rise in rape and sexual assault incidents recorded by police.
The NAO’s report found that the Home Office’s actions to address VAWG have not yielded positive outcomes for victims.
Despite multiple strategies introduced since 2010 aimed at reducing these crimes, the report stated that the Home Office had “not improved outcomes” for those affected.
The findings underline a significant gap between the government’s commitments and the results on the ground.
A spokesperson for the Home Office argued that the report highlighted the “failure to deliver systemic change” under the previous government, and that the current Labour government is “delivering a step-change” in its response to the issue.
The NAO’s analysis revealed a concerning rise in incidents of VAWG. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, the percentage of women aged 16 to 59 who have experienced sexual assault in England and Wales rose from 3.4% in 2009-10 to 4.3% in 2023-24.
Rape and sexual assault cases recorded by police have increased nearly fourfold during the same period, rising from 34,000 to 123,000.
However, the report cautioned that some of this increase could be attributed to improved crime recording.
The NAO also highlighted the “low charge rate and long wait times” in the justice system, with many rape victims dropping out of the process before a case could reach conviction.
In addition, a small proportion of domestic abuse cases led to charges, further underlining systemic issues in tackling VAWG.
The report also criticised the Home Office for its lack of progress on earlier strategies and its insufficient understanding of what works in tackling VAWG.
Despite spending at least £4.2 million on research into preventing VAWG as part of the 2021 strategy, the funded projects have yet to provide useful insights that could inform future interventions.
The NAO noted that the Home Office’s dedicated VAWG team faced challenges in coordinating with other government departments and had a “limited understanding” of the resources allocated across government to address the issue.
In fact, the team did not meet for a year after it was established and convened only four times in total, further undermining the effectiveness of the response.
The NAO concluded that the lack of an effective, cross-government approach means the Home Office cannot be confident that the government is doing everything it can to reduce VAWG and keep women and girls safe.
The report’s findings call for a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing the root causes of violence against women.
While in opposition, Labour pledged to halve VAWG incidents within a decade. The NAO acknowledged that the new government has set an “ambitious target” to reduce VAWG but stressed that to meet this target, the Home Office would need to lead a coordinated, whole-system response that addresses the causes of VAWG.
Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, commented on the report, stating that the lack of focus on prevention is “deplorable,” especially as VAWG is significantly underreported.
She also emphasised that the true value of any strategy aimed at reducing VAWG cannot be determined solely on financial terms, given the far-reaching societal harms caused by such violence.
