Plans for centre for victims of sexual assault in Guernsey

The centre will be piloted from 2023 and will provide confidential medical and practical support

Plans have been sped up to create a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Guernsey after a new domestic abuse and sexual violence strategy was approved.

The centre will be piloted from 2023 and will provide confidential medical and practical support.

The new strategy will also start work to criminalise coercive control, which was made illegal in the UK in 2015.

Domestic abuse represented about 17% of all reported local crime in 2020.

Home Affairs Member Deputy Sue Aldwell, lead on domestic abuse for the committee, said: "The fact every day physical abuse and controlling behaviour is going on behind closed doors shows there is a great deal of work to be done".

Work will also start on introducing Stalking Protection Orders and Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Orders which will cover non-violent aspects of domestic abuse as well as assault and threatening behaviour.

The last strategy aimed at tackling domestic abuse locally was approved by the States in 2009.

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