Minister for women Harriet Harman has expressed concern that a review of rape laws is failing to address vital issues.
She has demanded a more radical overhaul of the law, with targets for prosecutors and police to secure more convictions, according to the Times.
But justice secretary Jack Straw and home secretary Alan Johnson disagree and have postponed the review.
The news came as the government unveiled a drive to reduce violence against women and young girls by teaching pupils as young as five about the dangers of "wife-beating".
Policing minister David Hanson launched an updated government strategy to tackle violent crime during a visit to St Mary's sexual assault referral centre in Manchester.
Some £3.2m will be spent building eight new sex assault referral centres for rape victims.
The new action plan will also introduce 'violent offender orders' (Voo), which aim to disrupt the pattern of reoffending behaviour.
Under the terms of Voos, offenders could be banned from certain places and events or from contacting certain people to prevent them from re-offending.
Serious offenders who reach the end of their prison sentence must also inform police if they move home, change their name or go abroad, as is the practice with sex offenders.
Breaking the terms of a Voo is punishable with a five year prison sentence.
Hanson explained: "Violent crime can have a devastating effect on victims and on communities. Voos 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."
Article Comments
I totally agree with any measure to prevent violence against women. That said I wish to see more effort put into reseach and defence of men violently attacked by women. I have lost count of the number of cases I have encountered where the violence of a woman towards a manr would equal any violence shown by a man to a woman. Let's have some equality here.
5th Aug 2009 at 3:42 pm by Gerald Phillips
