Richmond WEP ending VAWG

  WEP Richmond Vigil 2nd January 2023   BACK TO BASICS 1. Definition of VAWG   NB VIOLENCE not only resulting in death - power and control   • Domestic abuse   • Partner abuse   • Sexual offences   • Harassment   • Child abuse   Cyber stalking big increase - Guardian ‘Today in Focus’ 7 part podcast series     2. FESTIVE PERIOD and sports events like World Cup   • increase in the crimes   • hardest for those trapped in abusive relations when everyone else celebrating and happy   • hardest for those who have lost family, like Amélie’s parents, remembering them at this time of year.     So what about 2023? OPTIMISM Quote from Scottish organisation Zero Tolerance - www.zerotolerance.org.uk “We will work AMBITIOUSLY believing fundamental change is possible.”   HAPPY NEW YEAR!

  Hello and thank you all for coming to join us this evening.   I’m going to keep this short because I know that some of you are heading into town to join the WEP action around former police officer David Carrick’s sentencing.   This is the 18 th time we have met here now, every month since September 2021. When Sarah Everard was murdered at the beginning of March 2021 we were hopeful that the ensuing media that meant that at last this social epidemic would be covered by the press and tackled by the politicians every day – not just when there were headlines to be made and votes to be won.   But that is still not the case. According to the Counting Dead Women blog, at least 107 women were killed by men in 2022 (or where men are the principal suspect in an ongoing enquiry). So that’s two mothers, daughters, friends dying every week.   How many did you hear about in the press or from politicians? 4 of the women were teenagers, there were 8 in their 80’s and the majo