On 25 November 2025, as the world observed the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) quietly released a sweeping five-year strategy to redefine how the justice system approaches violence against women and girls (VAWG). The initiative marks a significant shift: instead of treating crimes like rape, stalking, cyber-harassment, forced marriage, or female genital mutilation (FGM) as distinct and isolated offences, the CPS will train staff to recognise the overlapping and cumulative nature of abuse.
Official data revealed why this shift is needed: 35.1% of rape charges, and more than 80% of stalking or image-based abuse (such as “revenge porn”) cases in recent years also involve domestic abuse. In effect, many crimes committed against women come layered , a pattern of control, coercion, harassment, and ultimately violence. The new strategy aims to improve how these cases are handled: from more sensitive initial interviews, better support for victims, to more coordinated investigation between police and prosecutors, and improved pre-trial care.
Survivors and activists cautiously welcomed the move. For many, it signals recognition that abuse isn’t always physical or easily defined , sometimes it’s psychological, digital, ongoing, and deeply personal. By transforming how the justice system views these crimes, the CPS hopes to rebuild trust with survivors, improve conviction rates, and finally send a message: no form of violence against women is too trivial. Or too complicated. Or too digital.
