The government of the United Kingdom (UK) is failing to protect and support women victims of violence, according to a report issued last week by the UK Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. The report examined the status of the UK’s efforts to ratify the Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) by analyzing the country’s compliance with each article of the Convention. Of note, the report found that female asylum seekers and refugees were particularly vulnerable to violence, poverty and a lack of access to shelter and services. The report also found that the police failed to prioritize or respond adequately to complaints of domestic and sexual violence against women.
Compiled from: Guilbert, Kieran, UK failing to protect female domestic violence victims - watchdog, Reuters (February 19, 2015); UK House of Lords, House of Commons, Joint Committee on Human Rights, Violence against women and girls, Sixth Report of Session 2014–15 (January 19, 2015).