VALERIE'S LAW Compulsory Training for Agencies Supporting Black DV Victims
This petition gathered 106,518 signatures between 30 April 2021 and 30 October 2021, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 6 July 2021. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 28 March 2022.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
VALERIE'S LAW Compulsory Training for Agencies Supporting Black DV Victims
Make specialist training mandatory for all police and other government agencies that support black women and girls affected by domestic abuse. Police and agencies should have culturally appropriate training to better understand the cultural needs of black women affected by domestic abuse.
Too many African and Caribbean heritage women have not been afforded the same level of support that is offered to others. This can only be addressed by Cultural Competency training being rolled out across the police and other government agencies. Without specialised training, it is practically impossible to support, or risk assess black women. This often puts black victims at increased risk.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 6 July 2021; the petitions site lists the Home Office as responsible. Its summary:
Current training on domestic abuse should include recognising the specific needs of victims due to their ethnicity or cultural background; Government does not feel it is necessary to mandate it.
The opening 392 words of the 826-word response:
This government is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors of domestic abuse get the support they need, including those from Black backgrounds. Our landmark Domestic Abuse Act, which received Royal Assent on 29th April this year, is a game-changer. It will help millions affected by these awful crimes by strengthening the response across all agencies - from the police and courts, to local authorities and service providers.
We know that domestic abuse affects a wide and disparate group and that a “one size fits all” approach is not appropriate to support all victims, especially those with specific needs and vulnerabilities, including ethnic minority victims.
We recognise the importance of specialist “by and for” domestic abuse services to understand the specific issues which Black victims face and who have the necessary skills and experience to provide appropriate support. That is why, when allocating some of our emergency funding packages to support the most vulnerable in society during the pandemic, we specifically encouraged bids from organisations who support minority groups, including Black victims of domestic abuse.
The Home Office provided £150,000 to the Karma Nirvana helpline in 2020/21, and an additional £85,682 was provided to boost their services during the Covid pandemic. Additionally, the charity Southall Black Sisters was provided with £80,951 in funding during the Covid pandemic. This funding has supported predominantly ethnic minority victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage.
In 2021/22, the Ministry of Justice will provide just under £151m for victim and witness support services. This includes an extra £51m to increase support for rape and domestic abuse victims and will specifically fund over 700 new ISVA and IDVA posts. We have also announced a £2m fund for specialist ‘by and for’ victim support organisations who support ethnic minority, LGBTQ+ or disabled victims.
Additionally, the Domestic Abuse Act put the Domestic Abuse Commissioner on Statutory footing. The role description of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner states that they must adopt a specific focus on the needs of victims and survivors of domestic abuse from minority or marginalised groups with particular needs, such as victims who are BAME, LGBTQ+, disabled, or migrant victims.
To accompany the Domestic Abuse Act we will shortly publish statutory guidance for consultation that will provide further detail on how specific types of abuse can be experienced by different communities and groups, including ethnic minority victims.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 1,847, came from Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
105,076 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,442 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Hackney North and Stoke Newington | 1,847 |
| Hackney South and Shoreditch | 1,768 |
| Lewisham, Deptford | 1,415 |
| Camberwell and Peckham | 1,208 |
| Tottenham | 1,035 |
| Bristol West | 1,020 |
| Dulwich and West Norwood | 1,016 |
| Streatham | 979 |
| Islington North | 957 |
| Bethnal Green and Bow | 930 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 37,629 |
| South East | 12,978 |
| East of England | 8,215 |
| South West | 7,671 |
| North West | 7,588 |
| West Midlands | 6,479 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 5,352 |
| Scotland | 5,140 |
| East Midlands | 4,882 |
| Wales | 2,693 |
| North East | 2,089 |
| Northern Ireland | 954 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 28 March 2022. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/578416.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
a47fef4b6b0f7895… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.