Empowering and engaging citizens to take action
The public has a pivotal role to play in the prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. In recognition of that:
a. By April 2026, the Home Office, as the lead department for the response to violence against women and girls, should agree funding for (and later implement) a multi-year series of active bystander public information campaigns centred around the prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. Campaigns should be launched by no later than December 2026. These should be managed and funded centrally by the UK Government, but rolled out regionally and locally in a sustainable and consistent way. They should all have the same central purpose and messaging, and include evaluation metrics based on behaviour and attitudinal change, as well as communications reach and engagement.
b. By July 2026, the Home Office should agree which agencies should have ownership of the coordination standards and messaging around active bystander training.
c. By July 2026, the Government should consider the arguments for the introduction of a wider Good Samaritan law, as is being championed by Farah Naz, Zara Aleena's aunt and campaigner; and in particular consider the potential impact that introducing such a law could have on the prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces.
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Jess Phillips made a written statement to Parliament (HCWS1122) on 2 December 2025 accepting all 13 Part 2 recommendations, announcing £13.1 million in funding to the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (Written Statement HCWS1122, 2 December 2025).
- No specific public evidence that funding for active bystander campaigns has been agreed, or that coordination of bystander training standards has begun, as of March 2026.
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
No Response
Response
No ResponseNo government response recorded.