2. What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce coercive behaviour? OQ61496

Thank you very much for that important question.

We want to make Wales the safest place to be a woman. Our Sound campaign addresses behaviours and attitudes directly with men and boys in Wales. Our vision is that it's not for women to change their behaviours, but for abusers to change theirs.

Thank you for that response, and I agree entirely with it. In 2015 an offence was brought into law making coercive and controlling behaviour a crime. Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour in which an abuser controls their victim's life, systematically removing their independence and support network, and coerces their victim through verbal intimidation, threats and/or physical abuse. We know of two high-profile victims of coercive control, Ruth Dodsworth and Anna McMorrin. Anna McMorrin told BBC Wales that 'people shouldn't feel stigmatised' and that 'anyone' can be in such a situation and become a victim. Does the Government accept that there is a need for additional support for victims of coercive control?

Thank you very much for that important question, Mike Hedges, and I think it is important to recognise the courage of women, of survivors who come out and speak in this way about their experience of coercive control. Yes, we have a law, but, actually, are we implementing it in terms of our criminal justice system? I think it's also important to recognise that it's about raising awareness, about reporting and our Live Fear Free campaigns, raising awareness of not just coercive control, importantly, but stalking, harassment, abuse and violence against women in all aspects of life.

I just want to extend my congratulations today, the first chance, to Emma Wools. Now, Emma Wools was successfully appointed as Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales Police recently, and she now joins me as co-chair of the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence national partnership board. She has a leadership role in policing in Wales, and she's already launched the 'What matters to you—tell Emma' community grant scheme.

So, I absolutely endorse everything that you've said, but I would say I hope some of you saw the interesting feedback about Sound—WalesOnline on 8 September—about our Sound ambassadors reflecting on their own behaviours, recognising the impact they have on their partners and encouraging men to do better, to be a Sound man, a Sound partner, and I quote:

'"I've smashed my phone, I've been suspicious and paranoid." The men who have changed their ways as a national emergency is declared.'

And the Sound campaign—our Welsh Government Sound campaign—has won a UK national award as the best community engagement campaign. So, I urge everyone as well to take forward this important responsibility in terms of raising awareness.

As a self-confessed fan of Emmerdale, I was pleased to see that this was recently highlighted in the soap in terms of highlighting the story of Belle Dingle and her partner Tom; Belle was unfortunately the victim of coercive behaviour. So, I’m glad that that was raised on a national scale, and I thank the producers of Emmerdale and ITV for, obviously, highlighting that on a national scale, and I think that that can, obviously, go leaps and bounds in terms of raising that awareness and getting that on the agenda. But I’m interested to know what work the Welsh Government has done on perpetrator-focused interventions and how the Cabinet Secretary is working with the Cabinet Secretary for Education to ensure that young people understand the signs of coercive behaviour, either in themselves or with a partner, and how is the Welsh Government working on perpetrator-focused interventions specifically? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Gareth, and also thank you for drawing attention to Emmerdale. I confess that I don't watch Emmerdale, but, actually, it is important. On a serious level, the media has to take a responsibility. It is through many of our so-called soaps, radio and television, that these stories have been told and they’re powerful in that way, as they are when well-known, important people in public life, as Mike Hedges has said, also reveal that they have been survivors of coercive control.

But I think it’s important that we—just in terms of acknowledging your recognition of this importance—look at how we are acting, not just in terms of this overall campaign, Live Fear Free, our VAWDASV strategy, but that we have a strand of work in our VAWDASV strategy. Indeed the Equality and Social Justice Committee will be aware of this, about how we’re tackling perpetrator behaviour, and I’m very grateful to the committee, actually, for the work that we’ve done. And also I’ve mentioned our new Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales; I have to pay tribute to the north Wales chief constable, Amanda Blakeman, who is absolutely at the forefront. We need women in these leadership positions, I have to say, as well, operationally as well as in political positions, and we have a workstream on tackling perpetrator behaviour and taking action.