AM: And one final point: international
Human Rights Day also marked the end of the 16 days of
activism against gender-based violence. I've been
campaigning with the Women's Institute—both here and in
Aberystwyth, and across the region—within those two weeks,
pushing the respect agenda into all communities. And the
White Ribbon campaign asked people to pledge to never
commit, condone or remain silent about violence against
women. But that message is undercut if, when people do come
forward, the police fail to act properly. So, I was a
little bit dismayed last week to learn that, according to
the Criminal Justice Inspectorates, 8,400 crimes have not
been properly recorded by Dyfed-Powys and Gwent police. And
I want to focus on Dyfed-Powys as it covers most of my
region. Of the 3,300 reported crimes not recorded
annually, 1,500 are violent crimes, 70 are sex offences,
seven are vulnerable victim cases and 66 are cases of
domestic abuse—nearly a quarter of all reported crime. In
many cases, victims will only be able to access support
services when a crime is recorded. So, this is a serious
failure, and I expect the police leadership
and
Police and Crime Commissioners to
get a grip and to stop letting down the victims of abuse.
Within this country, they have a fundamental human right to
protection. Thank you.
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