WomensAid responds to law to recognise children born as a result of rape as victims in their own right

The government has announced that the forthcoming Victims Bill will be amended so that children born as a result of rape will be officially recognised as victims of crime in their own right.

WomensAid have responded: "The government’s response to the Justice Select Committee’s recommendations on improving the Victims Bill, published today, fails to accept measures recommended by the Committee and Women’s Aid that would benefit survivors of domestic abuse, highlighting the ineffectiveness of this legislation. Women’s Aid and the Committee have called on the government to provide sustainable, multi-year funding for community-based domestic abuse services to ensure they can continue to deliver lifesaving support to women and children fleeing abuse. The government’s reluctance to guarantee this in legislation is hugely disappointing, particularly at a time when services are telling us they are at risk of closure due to the cost of living crisis and insufficient funding.