Before Christmas, the Home Secretary described violence against women and girls as a “national emergency”, stating what victims, families and frontline workers have known for years.
A System That Fails — By Design
Emergencies demand immediate, population-level action — not strategies that take the better part of a decade to fully implement.
The government’s latest proposals, such as specialist rape investigation teams, expanded protection orders, and undercover online policing are necessary to improve consistency and accountability. But they all share the same limitation: they act after harm has already occurred.
If violence against women were spreading like a virus, we would not rely solely on law enforcement and prosecution.
We would focus relentlessly on prevention and preparedness – like a vaccination.
The Obvious Truth
Shabana Mahmood’s admission that the criminal justice system “fails women” is refreshingly honest. But it is also deeply concerning.
Women already know:
- Reporting sexual violence is traumatic and slow
- Conviction rates remain low
- Investigations vary wildly by postcode
- Protection often arrives after life-altering damage has been done
Policing matters. Legal reform matters. But none of this prevents the initial attack.
And that is the moment we continue to ignore.
The Question No One Is Asking
An article published just before Christmas documented a familiar and disturbing incident occurring back in August 2025. A woman was approached late at night in a dark alleyway. She was struck from behind. She was raped.
The details change. The outcome does not.
Here is the uncomfortable truth:
People can protect against this.
The first rule of self-defence is space.
The second is not placing oneself in avoidable vulnerability.
This is not victim-blaming. It is reality-based safety education — the same principle used in every other area of risk management, from road safety to fire prevention.
We teach children how to cross roads.
We teach people how to evacuate buildings.
We teach cyber awareness to protect against fraud.
So why are we not teaching:
- Situational awareness
- Boundary setting and verbal deterrence
- How predators select targets
- How confidence disrupts criminal intent
- When to disengage, escape or escalate
