We are 100% committed to ending Violence Against Women and Girls.

We know that every day across Merseyside and in the UK, women and girls are subjected to incidents of violence, hate and sexual assault. 

Sadly, many of these incidents go unreported. We know that far more needs to be done to tackle this.

For this reason, we want women and girls across Merseyside to know that both PCC Emily Spurrell and Merseyside Police is committed to tackling the violence and abuse aimed at them.

Merseyside Police spoke to 4,000 women and girls across Merseyside to better understand how safe they feel in the places they live, work, and socialise.

The results show that a staggering 71% of women still live in fear of a sexual assault and that 69% of women say they would not report an incident to the police.

These figures remain unacceptably high and #TakingAction is focused on putting the voices of women and girls at the heart of the work to tackle VAWG and sets out our determination to change things for the better.

“Our focus must be on doing everything possible to prevent VAWG and showing that through the multi-agency VAWG Delivery Plan I launched in November 2022, there is a clear plan to make our region a safer place for all women and girls.
“We have made progress, but there’s much more to do. It’s vital that everyone who has a role to play in improving the safety of women and girls in our region is now focused on #TakingAction.”

Merseyside's Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell

#TakingAction against domestic abuse 

Spotting the red flags of domestic abuse marks the second phase of the ‘Taking Action’ campaign launched by Merseyside Police and Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell.

Informed by the voices of victim-survivors with lived experience, the campaign aims to raise awareness of behaviours that are often overlooked or minimised in relationships, but which are often warning signs of domestic abuse.

It is designed to reach victim-survivors and their friends and family to enable them to spot the ‘red flags’ so they can confidently report it to police at the earliest opportunity and seek help.

Taking Action DA

Find out more about our Domestic Abuse campaign. 

Open letters

A group of courageous victim-survivors of domestic abuse have come together to share their personal experiences in the form of open letters, with the hope of helping others to recognise the early warning signs and seek support.

Each open letter offers a personal account of experiencing domestic abuse. Some describe how they came to recognise patterns of control, while others reflect on the steps they took to seek support and move forward. Together, the letters aim to raise awareness, encourage early recognition of abuse, and let others know that support is available.

By speaking out, they’re helping to raise awareness and offer reassurance to those who may be unsure about what they’re experiencing.

Use the links below to read the full letters:

#TakingAction against rape and sexual assault

Merseyside Police and Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell are ripping apart the dangerous myths about rape and serious sexual offences with a bold new phase of their 'Taking Action' campaign. 

The ‘Myth vs Fact’ campaign tears down the lies that shield perpetrators and silence victims and replaces them with the truth.

Myth vs Fact: ripping apart the lies that excuse sexual violence

Shaped by conversations with victim-survivors and specialist support services, the hard-hitting campaign aims to tackle harmful misconceptions and challenge the attitudes that are used to excuse sexual violence, with a particular focus on engaging men as allies in prevention.

The campaign uses experiences and insights from victim-survivors to identify the most damaging myths and exposes the reality of sexual violence.

Rape and sexual assault aren't a misunderstanding. They're crimes.

Find out more about our 'Myth vs Fact' campaign.