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Strong new civil orders to further protect the public from violence and additional support for victims of sexual assault were announced today by Policing Minister David Hanson at the launch of an updated strategy to tackle violent crime.

The publication of An Action Plan to Tackle Violence – One Year On (new window)  marks the introduction of Violent Offender Orders (VOOs) (new window) to help prevent violent individuals re-offending by disrupting their patterns of offending behaviour.

Under the terms of VOOs serious offenders who have reached the end of their prison sentences or licence and who may be at risk of re-offending can be banned from places, events, and from contacting specified people for between two and five years.

Like sex offenders they must tell police if they move home, change their name, or go abroad. Breaking the terms of a VOO is a criminal offence punishable by five years in prison.

Police can apply to a magistrates court to grant a VOO. Offenders must have served at least 12 months in prison for serious violent offences including manslaughter, attempted murder, GBH, or malicious wounding.

Statement from the Policing Minister

David Hanson MP said, 'Violent crime can have a devastating effect on victims and on communities. Violent Offender Orders are a valuable tool to help protect the public and disrupt offending behaviour.

'VOOs will build on other public protection measures and reduce this risk so the most violent offenders can be managed beyond the end of their sentence or probation.

'Violent Crime has fallen by 41% since 1997. However, we continue to look at ways to tackle the issue. Today’s updated strategy and this funding will help us further drive down levels of violence as well as help the victims who have been affected by sexual crime.'

Statement from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Head of Crime Chief Constable of Warwickshire

Keith Bristow, 'The police service has a key role to play in protecting the public from sexual and violent offenders who pose a risk of serious harm to the public.

'The Violent Offender Orders are an important tool in helping the police deal with those offenders who are no longer subject to prison sentence or licence requirements and are showing a serious risk of causing harm through violence. We anticipate they will be used in a small number of cases, but that it will allow us to deal with those who are deemed to require further monitoring.

'The funding to support victims of rape is critical for all concerned in the criminal justice arena. We need to focus on the impact that rape has on the victims of this heinous crime and ensure that they have access to the right care. Without that long-term care it would be difficult for many victims to have the support and courage to be able to assist police in bringing offenders to justice.'

During a visit to St Mary’s sexual assault referral centre (SARC) in Manchester today, David Hanson awarded government funding of £3.2m to help victims of sexual violence.

A total of £1.67m will help establish eight new sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), support 15 existing SARCs and fund 43 independent sexual violence advisers (ISVAs) to offer practical support for victims of sexual violence.

Statement from the Clinical Director of the St Mary’s Centre

Dr Catherine White said, 'St Mary’s Centre, Manchester was the first SARC to be established in this country and has been at the forefront of developing comprehensive services for the victims of rape and sexual assault. 

'This funding will not only allow for the development of enhanced services here in Manchester but also ensure that rape and sexual assault victims have access to SARC services across all of the UK.'

The remaining £1.6m has been allocated today to 39 members of Rape Crisis England and Wales (new window) and The Survivors’ Trust (new window) by the Government Equalities Office. These charities provide specialist services, such as counselling and advocacy, to women and men who have been raped or experienced sexual violence.

Statement about the funding allocations from the Solicitor General

Vera Baird QC MP said, 'Rape is a devastating crime that traumatises victims and shatters lives. We can only continue to tackle it strongly as we are determined to do with the help of the experienced and well-trained voluntary sector.'

Violent crime

The introduction of VOOs and latest funding allocation is part of the government’s commitment to reduce all violent crime. The strategy was set out in the cross government violent crime action plan – 'An Action plan for Tackling Violence 2008-2011 (new window)' – published last year.

An updated plan ‘An Action Plan for Tackling Violence – One year On (new window)’ which is published today shows strong progress on all the original measures. The new plan sets out additional actions with an emphasis on prevention to complement work in priority areas of tackling serious youth violence and violence against women.

Meanwhile, violent crime continues to fall. Crime statistics published last month show violence against the person is down 6% on the year before.

Notes to editors

VOOs are legislated for in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 and came into force on 3 August 2009. They are civil preventative orders which may impose prohibitions, restrictions or conditions on individuals from going to any specified premises or other place; attending any specified event; or having any contact with any specified individual.

Persons subject to a VOO also become subject to its notification requirements which are very similar to those of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. These notification requirements are commonly referred to as the sex offenders register.  A person subject to a VOO must notify the police of certain information within three days of it coming into force and within three days of various changes occurring, including moving home and changing their name.

The ‘An Action Plan for Tackling Violence: One Year On (new window)’ updates the government’s ‘An Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-2011’  published last year. The update outlines of progress delivering 51 key actions to tackle violent crime including the rollout of the National Ballistic Intelligence Service (NABIS) and the beginning of the Child Sex Offender disclosure scheme being piloted in Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Hampshire and Warwickshire.

It strengthens the previous action plan in five strategic cross departmental areas with 45 new actions such as developing a strengthened approach to information sharing in Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and actions to tackle violence throughout the health service.

The Home Office received a number of successful applications for £75,000 to set up new SARCs for the funding year 2009/10 from the following organisations: Northamptonshire police; Suffolk constabulary; Norfolk constabulary; Lincolnshire police; Staffordshire constabulary; Cumbria police; Hertfordshire constabulary; South West Essex PCT/Essex police.

The Home Office has also awarded funding to the following existing SARC organisations.

The Home Office has awarded £860,000 funding for the following new and existing independent sexual violence adviser (ISVA) posts for 2009/10. ISVAs support victims of sexual violence and abuse. They work with criminal and civil justice agencies, health services, the voluntary sector and victim and witness services to enable victims to access the services they need; and ensure victims are kept informed and supported as their case progresses through the criminal justice system.

The government Equalities Office (GEO) has announced funding for the following organisations.

For more information contact the Home Office press office on 020 7035 3535.