To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase minimum sentences for perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
Answered on
21 June 2021
The government keeps offences and penalties under review, including those in relation to violence against women and girls. Minimum sentences are rarely used; there are currently no plans to introduce minimum sentences in this area.
The government is committed to keeping people safe from all forms of sexual violence. In 2020 we legislated to end the automatic halfway release of serious violent and sexual offenders who receive a standard determinate sentence (SDS) of 7 years or more. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will extend this change further by ensuring certain serious violent and sexual offenders who receive a SDS of between 4 and 7 years will also have to spend two thirds of their sentence in custody, demonstrating how seriously the government takes this type of offending.
The government will also be publishing a new cross-government “Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy” later this year which will help further transform the response to these crimes, from prevention and raising awareness, to ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.