Labour leader Starmer pledges support for #ReportIt
Sir Keir Starmer has backed our campaign to improve reporting of violence against women
The Labour leader has given his support to our #ReportIt campaign, looking at the scale of violence against women and what we can do to help reduce it.
It comes as new guidelines are published today on how the media should cover cases, which we have helped create alongside Woman's Rights organisation Zero Tolerance.
We are pledging to adopt them this morning, making us the first media organisation to take them on board..
They encourage sensitive reporting of VAWG stories through the use of responsible language and the avoidance of any suggestion of victim blaming.
Speaking exclusively to us, Sir Keir Starmer says helping improve things is everyone's responsibility.
"Well can I support your campaign?" he asked.
"You will know and your listeners will know, a big part of the problem is that very many victims of crime, particularly sexual crime. do not have the confidence to come forward in the first place.
"They don't think that they'll be properly supported, they're not sure they can go through a court case.
"We need to get the message out that if they do come forward, they will be supported."
Sir Keir has told us of other changes he believes need to happen across society.
"In the 999 call centres we should have specialists who understand domestic violence and sexual violence so we can pick it up straight away," he said.
"We need more support for victims...
"And we need rape courts that deal with rape cases very much more quickly.
"I think the media can help hugely with that because we all have a duty if you like to get that message out, that if you do report (abuse) then there will be support for you."
The Conservative government published a strategy on combating violence against women and girls in 2021, which you can read here,