As a Rotherham grooming gang survivor, and an honour-based violence survivor, I’m now calling on government to write new legislation to ensure that CPS recording and sentencing for our crimes recognises the racist and religious aspects of the abuse we have had to endure.

I’m recommending that a APPG working group is set up to brainstorm ideas to improve prevention, protection and prosecution.

And I’m recommending that CPS use a new ‘flag’ for grooming gang crime, something like ‘Gender-based violence linked to faith and belief’ with early referral to specialist prosecutors, ‘expert witnesses’ available, and monitoring of numbers of reports, and successful convictions.

I have already had discussions with central UK government. Please follow me for updates as I take this to the highest level over the next few months.

There must be an effort to ensure that in all cases of grooming gang crime, any religious and racist motivations/drivers are documented. And all cases MUST be referred to CPS specialist lawyers at the earliest opportunity, to protect witnesses and to preserve all evidence.

Police MUST document when our perpetrators use religious texts to justify their abusive actions, or when they are inspired by extremist hate groups, or are returning foreign-fighters, or are immigrants with links to terrorist organisations overseas.

Police and Government officials must NEVER say that “race and religion are irrelevant” to victims who have experienced racist and religious abuse, torture and rape.

This is the Wikipedia definition of #religiousabuse

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_abuse

In grooming gang crime, girls and women are judged to be ‘immoral’ or ‘evil’ and ‘asking for it’ for wearing tight clothes, not being virgins, even just looking at men. Perpetrators who believe they have ‘moral superiority’ carry out ‘rape as punishment’. This is not God’s love.

At the moment, Police follow the ‘Director’s Guidance in Charging 2013’.

This is just not specific enough, and it doesn’t insist on enough being done. Officers who want to do more aren’t supported. @MaggieOliverUK

https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/charging-directors-guidance-2013-fifth-edition-may-2013-revised-arrangements

Sentencing Guidelines for perpetrators of Sexual Assault say that there should be longer sentences for ‘racial or religious aggravation’. As with other ‘hate crimes’ Police should be encouraged, not discouraged, to record evidence of motivation.

http://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/upl …

https://twitter.com/ellahilluk/status/1247958794560311296?s=21 https://twitter.com/ellahilluk/status/1247958794560311296

https://twitter.com/ellahilluk/status/1224991818166743040?s=21 https://twitter.com/EllaHillUK/status/1224991818166743040