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I wanted to provide an update regarding Violence against women and girls, which members around this area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the Met Engage priority survey. Today, we talked with members of our community about Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
Walking through our ward in Morden Hall Park, we spoke with council members and residents in relation to one of our main priorities, preventing VAWG.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Alexis Boon said;
"It's now three years since the Met published its first VAWG (Violence against Women and Girls) Action Plan. Much has been achieved in that time as we seek to deliver against those commitments alongside the ambition of the 'New Met for London Plan'. Sadly, over 120,000 crimes of violence against women and girls were reported to the Met in 2024, so we know there is still much to do. This report sets out updates on progress we have made in the last reporting period.
"Key to delivery has been our significant investment in our response to VAWG, and we can see that it is delivering genuine results. 565 additional officers and staff have been drafted into public protection roles across the force, enhancing our domestic abuse, rape and sexual offence investigation teams to enable a better service for victims.
"In summer 2023, we launched the V100 – a data-led approach to identifying and prioritising those who pose the biggest risk to women and girls in London. This project has seen more than 100 convictions of some of London’s most dangerous men and led to 126 people being charged with 574 offences, including rape, grievous bodily harm (GBH), non-fatal strangulation and attempted murder.
"The Met was also one of the pathfinders for Operation Soteria – a 'once in a generation' opportunity to truly transform the police response to rape and serious sexual assault investigation. Since we began the journey in 2022, the number of people arrested and charged with rape and serious sexual offences have more than doubled and currently stand at 9.4%.
"We also want to ensure that women feel able to come forward and that they are well supported when they do so. That is why we have invested in enhanced ‘First Responder’ training for more than 20,000 frontline officers to improve the initial response to domestic abuse and stalking incidents. We are also just about to roll out further training for the specialist detectives and staff who work in our teams investigating rape and serious sexual offences. This is a key milestone in rebuilding trust and confidence.
"We know the importance of seeking your views, which is why we have launched new opportunities for Londoners to participate in and influence our plans, as part of our commitment to listen more to those most affected by VAWG. Our VAWG Independent Advisory Group and Scrutiny Panel have been vital in improving our response to these crime types and the way we support victims.
"We will continue to learn from this engagement, and do all we can to ensure women and girls feel safe wherever they are. In my new role as lead for VAWG at the Met, I look forward to continuing to transform how the Met protects the women and girls from harm, brings predators to account and works with partners to combat this endemic issue."
| New Met For London event | |  | | When & Where is it? | | Tue 02 Dec 2025 18:00 | Ricards Lodge High School
London
SW19 7HB
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 We are working on our brand-new strategy for how we police London and we want your help. Our New Met for London: Phase 2 strategy will guide how we deliver on behalf of Londoners over the next three years. | 
