Essex police and crime commissioner Nick Alston has spoken out on the subject of abuse and female genital mutilation (FGM) ahead of International Women’s Day on March 7.
The commissioner talked about the “significant numbers of people” who are victims of abuse, but for whatever reason, are unable to go to the police.
“These people are suffering hidden harm, and we must work together to prevent it,” said Mr Alston.
“This community of the ‘hidden harmed’ is hugely diverse. Very often victims are hidden in plain sight - people we sit next to on the bus or pass on the street, but who exist in their own private prison, without the support or confidence to speak out.
“There are many types of hidden harm, including female genital mutilation (FGM) and other types of so-called ‘honour'-based abuse, which add up to the simple fact that there are far too many people in this country - and in this county - experiencing intimate terrorism, often from the people they should be able to trust most.”
The PCC said that he would help to raise awareness of the issue of FGM in Essex by holding police and partner agencies to account in how they support victims and bring offenders to justice, as well as developing a “more robust strategy” for dealing with abuse in general, whether against women, men or children.
“We can only tackle these issues in partnership, and we will work diligently to improve the communication, information sharing and partnerships that will allow us to identify victims, provide better support to them, and deliver tougher outcomes for perpetrators of these hidden harms,” he said.