As a survivor of attempted murder and prolonged domestic abuse, I read the email below which i received with a mixture of anger, disbelief and profound concern. Survivors are repeatedly told that reporting abuse, enduring the criminal justice process and placing our trust in the authorities will lead to greater safety and accountability. Yet the decision to release violent domestic abuse perpetrators early undermines that promise and sends a dangerous message: that the safety of victims can be sacrificed when the system comes under pressure.
What is perhaps most alarming is that these concerns are not being raised by campaigners alone, but by professionals working within the justice system itself. The email below, sent by a concerned and burnt out victim liaison officer employed by the Probation Service, paints a deeply troubling picture of the impact these early releases will have on victims, frontline staff and public confidence in the government’s stated commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.
I am sharing these words and grave concerns because they deserve to be heard. They echo fears of countless survivors who already live with the daily reality of trauma, hyper-vigilance and the constant threat posed by those who have abused them. They also expose a stark contradiction between government rhetoric and the lived experiences of victims whose safety appears to be treated as an afterthought.