News
Tory whip in domestic violence row
A call by opposition councillors to reverse cuts in funding to the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum was voted down by the ruling Conservative group at a meeting of the full Council on Monday night.
A notice of motion submitted to the council sought to restore the funding which has been cut by more than 50%. Labour Group leader councillor Tim Oliver described the politically motivated vote as a betrayal of the victims of domestic violence. “A motion supported by Labour, Lib Dem and Independent councillors to restore £75,000 cuts to this service was stopped in its tracks by the Tories who followed the whip and voted en masse against,” he said.
“We hoped Tory councillors would have followed their conscience and supported the forum which is the key stone in the borough’s multi agency approach and which even the Tories agree represents best practice in supporting and protecting victims.
“Instead each and everyone one of them followed their party line and voted against.
“The forum’s work should be above party politics but Walsall’s Conservatives made a political attack on the government in an effort to wash their hands of responsibility for the cuts they have made.”
The Walsall Domestic Violence Forum is a charitable company whose objectives are to provide a pro-active multi agency response to all victims of domestic violence and to influence public policy and working practice. The Forum brings together professionals from across the range of organisations working with people affected by domestic abuse including representatives from the police, probation, social care, housing, health and the voluntary sector.
In March 2009 funding from Safer Walsall Partnership to Walsall Domestic Violence Forum was cut from £152,000 to £75,000 for running core services including the Domestic Abuse Response team. Further cuts have not been ruled out. Nationally, figures indicate that domestic violence is on the increase with 1 in 4 women likely to be victims and 2 women a week killed by partners or former partners. Research by the Home Office and British Crime Survey shows that victims are reluctant to report attacks to the police and any reduction in available support will inevitably lead victims to remain silent.
Councillors were told that incidents of domestic violence in the borough had leapt to over 4500 during 2009 while funding for administering and running core services was cut by more than half to £75,000.
Councillor Oliver said: “The consequence of this decision is not just lost services but the loss of hope for victims wanting to escape the threat of violence they face every day.”
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