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· “Innovative”
TfL partnership seeks to provide support without raising
suspicions
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details to be announced on the start date for the new pilot
project
has announced plans to make
much-needed specialist support for victims of domestic abuse
available on their daily journeys to work, college or school.
A new collaboration between Transport for London and the leading
domestic abuse refuge provider Hestia is the first of its kind.
It will explore how people can seek support as part of their
regular journeys, as that is less likely to cause suspicion from
an abuser.
More than 75,000 domestic abuse offences were recorded in London
last year and roughly a tenth of all crime recorded by the Met is
domestic abuse-related. As well as physical harm, controlling
behaviour is a common and devastating hallmark of abusive
relationships, with abusers seeking to take charge of their
partner’s everyday lives. This kind of controlling behaviour can
make it difficult, and sometimes dangerous, for a victim to
seek help.
This new pilot project seeks to provide safe, private spaces that
could be a first step for victims of domestic abuse to access the
services and support they need, provided by Hestia’s
specialist staff. Victims will contact Hestia to set a
pre-agreed time and TfL location to meet with Hestia’s staff. The
start date for victims to access this new support will be
announced in the near future.
Announcing the new pilot on International Women’s Day, the Mayor
of London, , said: “Keeping Londoners safe
is my number one priority but sadly domestic abuse still accounts
for around a tenth of all recorded crime in our city. I want to
do everything I can to address this issue and ensure all women
and girls in London feel safe.
“Transport is something Londoners use every day, and this new and
innovative pilot will explore how regular journeys, which will
not cause suspicion, can become an important way for the most
vulnerable or at-risk individuals to access the support and
services they need.”
Sadiq and TfL are committed to doing everything possible to
end violence against women and girls, and this new initiative is
in addition to the many measures already underway, including the
Mayor’s £8.5m London Domestic Violence service and the
ground-breaking Project Guardian partnership, between TfL and the
police, with the aim of eliminating unwanted sexual behaviour
from London’s transport network. With 90 per cent of unwanted
sexual offences going unreported, a key focus of Project Guardian
has been to increase reporting so incidents can be thoroughly
investigated and offenders brought to justice.
Patrick Ryan, CEO at Hestia, said: “For people trying to escape
domestic abuse, fear of their abuser finding out is a key barrier
to seeking support. This partnership with TfL is an exciting
innovation that will make it possible for us to provide
specialist support as people travel about their daily lives.”
London Victims' Commissioner, Claire Waxman, said: “The victims
of domestic abuse often suffer in silence and struggle to safely
access the help and support they need. This pilot is an
important step in addressing this
barrier to access specialist services. We must continue
to do all we can to address domestic abuse in London
properly and keep women safe.”
Staynton Brown, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at TfL, said:
“It is vital that people who experience domestic abuse get access
to the support and advice that they need, which is why we are
working with Hestia for the first time to see how we can help.”
This initiative is part of the Mayor’s #BehindEveryGreatCity
campaign, which aims to bring Londoners together to celebrate how
women of all backgrounds make London the great city it is, and to
take new steps to tackle gender inequality in the capital.
The Mayor and TfL are working with Hestia to agree on suitable
locations for the initial 12-month pilot, with two locations in
central London already identified. People wishing to access the
new support available through the pilot are being advised to
contact Hestia directly at visitHestia.org or
@Hestia1970 to find out the most suitable location for their
needs.
