Sarah Everard vigil: Arrests as protesters march through central London

Home Secretary Priti Patel has said the Domestic Abuse Bill will “transform” the response to violence against women and girls.

“This will transform our collective response to this abhorrent crime,” she said, addressing MPs on Monday.

Ms Patel acknowledged: “We all know action is needed to improve the outcome of rape cases.”

She said the bill would build “on other measures we have put forward”.

The new bill seeks to “improve the effectiveness of the justice system in providing protection for victims of domestic abuse and bringing perpetrators to justice,” the government says in a fact sheet online. Part of that effort will include creating a statutory definition of domestic abuse that will also emphasise that domestic abuse is not just physical violence, but can also include emotional, coercive and economic abuse.

It also aims to “strengthen the support for victims of abuse by statutory agencies”.

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP has said the police crackdown that unfolded at Saturday’s vigil should serve as a “red warning light” to the Government that “ministers should not be rushing through laws cracking down on protest”.

The Labour MP’s comments were in reference to the Government’s new policing bill, which would provide police and the home secretary with new powers over public gatherings and processions faced and has faced growing criticism in the wake of Saturday’s events.

“This government is failing to address violence against women and girls,” he said. And yet, Mr Thomas-Symonds said, the Government wants to “curtail their right to protest about it”.

Priti Patel has urged UK residents not to participate in large gatherings or attend protests while Covid-19 restrictions remain in effect.

Addressing MPs, she said: “Over the past year during the coronavirus pandemic, the police have been faced with an unenviable and immediately difficult task. It is one for the most part that they have approached with skill and professionalism, helping to enforce regulations as determined by Parliament with one crucial objective in mind, to save lives.

“This House approved those changes by 524 votes to 16 on January 6 this year. Sadly, as of Sunday March 14, more than 125,500 lives have been lost to this horrible virus.

“It is for that reason that I continue to urge everyone for as long as these regulations are in place not to participate in large gatherings or attend protests,” she said.

“The right to protest is the cornerstone of our democracy, but the Government’s duty remains to prevent more lives being lost during this pandemic.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel has urged lawmakers to avoid making judgments about what unfolded at the vigil for Sarah Everard on Saturday until a review into the incident comes to a conclusion.

Addressing MPs, Ms Patel said that while the scenes from the vigil, which saw police officers forcibly remove attendees from a bandstand and push some to the ground, were “upsetting”, she said: “No one should prejudge anything in terms of conduct until we absolutely see what has happened”.

The home secretary has requested a “lessons learned” review into the policing of Saturday’s vigil.

She further said that the need to address violence against women and girls “isn’t just about the government,” asserting that there also needed to be a behavioural and cultural change in the UK.

“That’s culture across society, that’s culture with men as well and we should be upfront with that,” she said.

Priti Patel rejected a claim that the Domestic Abuse Bill does not make mention of women.

Addressing comments made by Nick Thomas -Symonds MP, the Home Secretary said: “That is another accusation that I will reject, primarily because it is a criminal law and sentencing Bill which applies equally to everybody.”

Ms Patel further noted that bills around criminal justice and sentencing do not directly mention women either.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May has called for “justice” for Sarah Everard, as well as a recognition that legislation is not enough to end violence against women and girls.

Addressing the Commons, Ms May said Home Secretary Priti Patel was “right to remind us that behind the events of Saturday lies the tragic death of Sarah Everard, a bright young woman dearly loved by her family and friends and I join [Ms Patel] and other members of this House in saying that my thoughts and prayers are with Sarah’s family and friends at this time.

“We want justice for Sarah, we also want women to be able to feel and be safe on our streets and in their homes.”

“So does [Ms Patel] agree that we must redouble our efforts to make sure that the Government’s excellent Domestic Abuse Bill reaches the statute book as anticipated next month?” she asked.

However, she said lawmakers should “also recognise that legislation is not enough and that if we are going to eradicate violence against women and girls, we need a change of attitudes and that is about dealing with perpetrators, changing their behaviour, but also teaching young men and boys about respect for women and about what is or is not acceptable in a relationship?”

The home secretary said she wanted to “pay tribute” to Mrs May for her own “work and leadership” around addressing domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.

She said the Domestic Abuse Bill was a “landmark” bill that would aim to address domestic violence, but also said that Mrs May was right that there needed to be a wider societal shift.

“Legislation can only go so far,” Ms Patel agreed.

Conservative MP and former leader of the party Sir Iain Duncan Smith has said all MPs should be "dialling this down, not trying to raise the temperature".

Sir Iain told the Commons that some of the actions on Saturday night were "shameful", adding: "But it ill behoves politicians to get up, pass judgement on what happened without all the evidence.

"I was contacted by a female police officer today to tell me of what happened to her on that night. She was threatened, she was told that she should have been murdered, not Sarah Everard, and that she was manhandled.

"I simply say on all sides we should be dialling this down, not trying to raise the temperature by calling for resignations etcetera."

Priti Patel replied: "I think the point about not pre-judging is absolutely right."

Labour has warned the government’s controversial police bill “risks becoming an abusers’ charter”.

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told the House of Commons that the legislation devotes more space to defending statues from vandalism than protecting women from street harassment and stalking.

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more details:

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he has met with the organisers of Saturday's Reclaim These Streets vigil to discuss "how to make London safer for women".

Mr Khan said talks included "focusing on a city-wide strategy and the importance of misogyny being recorded as a hate crime".

"Over the last week, we have seen an outpouring of grief and anger from women in London and across the country over Sarah Everard's death and the daily reality of male violence against women and girls," Mr Khan said in a statement.

"The terrible truth is that many women and girls do not feel safe and I am committed to doing everything in my power to address this."

Mr Khan said he also listened to "and shared" the campaigners' concerns about the policing of Saturday's vigil, into which he has called for an independent investigation.

Hundreds of people have gathered at Parliament Square in London for another protest in memory of Sarah Everard.

People at the vigil held banners and chanted as dozens of police officers watched on.