Skip to (Video Time Stamp) - 00.00 - 02.03 - Olivia Smith Introduction to the webinar

Skip to (Video Time Stamp) - 02.04 - 14.24 - Rebecca Hitchen (End Violence Against Women)

Skip to (Video Time Stamp) - 14.28 - 16.40 - Question and Answer about 'merits based approach'

Skip to (Video Time Stamp) - 16.48 - 28.54 - Sumanta Roy (Imkaan)

Skip to (Video Time Stamp) - 30.20 - 47.53 - Amelia Handy, Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW)

Skip to (Video Time Stamp) - 50.47 - 1.11.30 - Jahnine Davis, Listen Up Research CIC & Kingston University

Skip to (Video Time Stamp) - 1.11.31 - End - Olivia Smith introducing Dame Vera Baird DBE QC - due to technical difficulties Dame Vera's speech is provided elsewhere.

This is the first in the autumn series of webinars planned by various members of the Violence Against Women and Girls Network (VAWGN). Find us on Twitter @VAWGRN

Criminal Justice System Responses to Rape are Failing: Suggestions for Radical Change from the VAWG Sector

Speakers: Sumanta Roy (Imkaan), Rebecca Hitchen (End Violence Against Women), Jahnine Davis, Listen Up Research CIC & Kingston University, Amelia Handy, Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) and Dame Vera Baird DBE QC .

Chair: Olivia Smith, Loughborough University

Olivia joined the School from her previous role at Anglia Ruskin University in September 2019. Her PhD research, obtained from the University of Bath in 2014, examined court responses to rape and led to the development of Vera Baird’s court observer panel in Northumbria. Olivia’s research has been used as an evidence-base on rape justice by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, as well as third sector organisations such as Rape Crisis. Olivia is also a member of the British Society of Criminology’s Victims Network working group and previously convened the British Sociology Association’s Violence Against Women Study Group.

About our Speakers

Sumanta Roy

Sumanta Roy is the Head of Research, Evaluation and Development at Imkaan, a second-tier charity responsible for more effective policy and practice in response to violence against Black, and minoritised women and girls. Sumanta has been responsible for developing the research department at Imkaan, where she specialises in gendered social policy influencing research which is participatory and focuses on VAWG within an equalities, legal and social justice lens. She has over 20 years of expertise in producing research, evaluations, needs assessments, survivor consultations and policy papers for specialist women's organisations, local authorities and in partnership with academic institutions which have influenced the policy and funding environment on VAWG.

Sumanta is passionate about developing ethical approaches to research led 'by and for' Black and minoritised communities. She recently produced Reclaiming Voice - a study on the on Minoritised Women and Sexual Violence" with Dr Ravi Thiara, University of Warwick. See: https://www.imkaan.org.uk/reclaiming-voice

Jahnine Davis

Jahnine Davis is the Co-Founder & Director of Listen Up Research Company. As a practitioner Jahnine has worked in child protection and safeguarding extensively particularly in the charity sector managing CSA/E services. A PhD researcher at Kingston University, Jahnine is exploring service responses to Black adolescents who are at risk of and experience harm, including how Black adolescents perceive support. Her MA in Woman and Child Abuse studies concluded with a qualitative study ‘Where are the Black Girls?’ Highlighting why little is known about experiences of child sexual abuse in Black African-Caribbean communities.

Rebecca Hitchen

Rebecca is the Campaigns Manager at the End Violence Against Women Coalition, a UK-wide coalition, based in London, of around 80 women’s organisations working to end all forms of violence against women and girls, including: domestic and sexual violence, forced marriage, FGM, trafficking, abuse related to prostitution, stalking, sexual harassment and more.

The EVAW Coalition lobbies national and local government to improve its policy and practice in these areas (from criminal justice to education and health), and to prevent abuse from happening in the first place. It successfully lobbied for the Home Office to draw up and implement its Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, and significantly drove the campaign for compulsory Relationships and Sex Education which was victorious in March 2017, and used strategic litigation to change child protection policies in schools in relation to sexual violence and harassment.

Amelia Handy

Amelia has been Policy Officer for Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) for a year and a half, having previously worked for South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre as a counsellor coordinator. Prior to working for Rape Crisis, Amelia worked in engagement and public affairs for Remembering Srebrenica, specialising in gender-based violence in wartime Bosnia-Herzegovina. Amelia has a Masters degree in Gender in the Middle East, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Vera Baird DBE QC

Dame Vera Baird QC is the Victims’ Commissioner (VC) for England and Wales. Appointed on 24 June 2019 for a three-year term, Dame Vera is responsible for championing the interests of crime victims and witnesses and reviewing the operation of the Victims Code of Practice (the Code).

In taking up the role, Dame Vera draws upon a wealth of experience combining political, legal and police expertise. She has a lifelong interest in fighting injustice and passionately believes our criminal justice system can only be considered successful if it delivers justice to both victim and offender.