We are delighted to report that the Leader of Portsmouth City Council has contacted us following yesterday’s news reports and our letter to the Cabinet to reassure us that the nil cap on SEVs will not be overturned.

Cllr Vernon-Jackson said:

“I’m sorry that there has been a misunderstanding of this. In the budget we have to look not only at cuts but also where more income may come from. My understanding is that there are currently 3 SEVs in Portsmouth but our past budgets had assumed money from just 2. In the budget that was passed yesterday we just adjusted the figures to expect a fee to come from 3 – as is now the case. This meant we could avoid other cuts but there is no expectation of any more SEVs in Portsmouth.”

We’re very glad to hear it.

We’ve written back to the Leader for a bit more clarity on the current status of lap dancing clubs in the city and how future licensing will equate to a saving of £8000.

In addition we’ve asked the Leader if he can clarify a couple of issues we noticed yesterday while preparing our letter to the Cabinet:

• The minutes from the Council meeting last October on the future licensing of lap-dancing clubs is missing from the Council’s website and we’d like to know why, and when we can expect them to be published for the public record
• We’d also like to know the current status of the Draft SEV Licensing Policy for the city, which according to the website currently remains in draft, and when this might be officially formalised

 

We’ll keep you informed as soon as we hear, but in the meantime, it’s worth remembering that our statement to Cllrs yesterday remains true:

“…let’s be clear as to why Aurora New Dawn is in favour of the nil cap.

We work, every day, with the end result of socially entrenched sexism, namely the victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

In the national and international women’s sector of which we are part, there is no doubt that the sexual objectification of women – as practiced in both page 3 and lapdancing clubs – is directly linked to the incidence of sexual and domestic violence.

This is not a matter of opinion or conjecture.

The link between the objectification of women and discrimination and violence towards women is recognised at an international level by the legally binding United Nations Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which has repeatedly called upon states – including the UK – to take action against the objectification of women.

We believe that one day, the world will look back on the routine custom of objectifying and commodifying women as a bizarre and fundamentally inhumane practice – just as we currently look back at the slave trade or the practice of sending children up chimneys.”

We hope that day is getting closer and we hope that Portsmouth City Council continues to work towards a society where no one – man, woman or child – can be bought and sold as a commodity.

Aurora New Dawn are currently working with police to explore how information sharing about extremely dangerous perpetrators could protect the public, as well as protecting victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Two cases have hit the headlines in recent years where the behaviour of the perpetrator in his relationships provided key indicators of the high level of danger these men posed – not just to individual intimate partners, but to the wider public.

Levi Bellfield was tried and convicted for the murder of Millie Dowler whilst already serving his sentence for the murders of Amelie Delagrange in 2004, Marsha McDonnell in 2003 and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy in 2004.

A number of Levi’s ex-girlfriends described a similar pattern of behaviour by Levi. While charming and affectionate at the start of the relationship, a typical pattern of domestic abuse emerged within weeks. Bellfield was a known domestic violence perpetrator: he would isolate his partners, preventing contact with friends and family and even requiring them to seek his permission to go out.

During their relationship, Bellfield told one former partner that he had thoughts of hurting women.

One of Bellfield’s ex-girlfriends came forward after the murder of Amelie and identified him as a potential suspect. His name was added to the 129 names on the ‘Ex-girlfriends’ list.

Peter Tobin was convicted in 2007 for the murder of Angelika Kluk, with further murder convictions following in 2008 and 2009 for the murders of Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNichol. He was also convicted of child abuse, although the full extent of his crimes remains unknown and is the subject of an ongoing police operation.

Tobin’s relationship history was one of extreme abuse, characterised by strangulation, sexual violence and ‘house arrests’, as well as physical assault. In one particularly brutal incident, his partner was assaulted so badly she bled through the ceiling.

Aurora’s Operations Manager, Zoe, said “What intelligence could we have had about these individuals if we were looking at their behaviour in their relationships?”

One of the key problems here is the silencing of victims and the consistent issue of not believing allegations of abuse or violence – an issue that has shaped a number of key campaigns this year, including MumsNet’s WeBelieveYou and the hashtag in solidarity with the victim of footballer Ched Evans, #WeBelieveHer.

“The victim’s perception of abusive behaviour is one of the most accurate ways we have of measuring risk,” said Zoe.

“In cases where victims have been murdered by their partners, we look back and see that she was consistently saying she was extremely afraid and believed he was going to kill her.”

Not all perpetrators will pose a public risk, Zoe makes clear.

“Most perpetrators are not a danger to anyone else other than people they are in a relationship with. However, with some cases, their abusive behaviour in the home tells us about a wider risk and the risk assessments we undertake with victims can provide information that could be used for public protection and even crime prevention.”

Aurora are currently working with a range of partner organisations, including the police, to explore how the information victims and survivors share with our staff – particularly in relation to sexual violence – might be shared with public agencies to make better links around public protection.

“Victims’ perceptions must be taken seriously,” said Zoe.

“Think about it. A victim knows her partner and she knows their behaviour – more so than anybody else.”

This article is based on a presentation given by Zoe, our Operations Manager to a number of 2^nd year Criminology students from the University of Portsmouth recently.

The presentation draws on Criminal Behavioural Analyst Laura Richards’ DASH Risk Assessment Masterclass, which examines the process of risk assessment in domestic abuse cases and explores the relationship between domestic abuse and wider public protection issues. Both Zoe and Aurora’s Chief Exec Shonagh are accredited by Laura Richards to deliver the Masterclass.

If you would like more information on booking a speaker from Aurora New Dawn, or want to find out more about the DASH Masterclass Training, please contact us on 023 9247 9254.

For one night in Portsmouth, we came, we chanted and we made the streets safe for women.

And what a night it was.

This year’s march saw over 250 women, men and children taking to the streets, carrying some of the best banners we’ve seen so far and without doubt, the best dancing. Special mention for White Ribbon volunteers Yaz and Corina, who led the march with some of the best dance moves we’ve seen in quite some time.

While we’re on the subject of credit where it’s due, massive thanks go to Batala for setting the pace of the march with their signature drumming, to all our speakers and performers and to the ever-faithful band of White Ribbon volunteers whose combined efforts make the event possible.

But of course, our biggest thanks go to everyone who attended – because it’s you that make the difference by shouting out that Pompey will not commit, condone or stay silent about violence against women and girls.

This was our fourth march, but the second year White Ribbon has celebrated local activism with its Outstanding Achievement Award. And the winner was Solent Feminist Network – a group comprised entirely of volunteers who have led on and supported some of 2011/12’s biggest campaigns against VAWG.

This year also saw a special award to our very own Chief Executive, Shonagh Dillon – in recognition of many years of activism, campaigning and hard work to make sure the voices of victims and survivors are heard.

The march closed with a fantastic pledge from the night’s compere, actor Kirsty Dillon: “Next year we want the march to be even bigger and even louder – we’re aiming for 1000 marchers to fill the Guildhall Square.”

If you’re not sure whether to be one of them, check out this video and make up your mind.

Convinced? Good. See you in 2013!

Joe Wells becomes an Aurora patron

We are delighted to welcome the fantastic, funny and fabulous Mr Joe Wells as our new patron. After working with Joe last year at the White Ribbon Comedy Night, we’ve been looking for a way to get him involved with Aurora New Dawn ever since – and now we have!

Although Joe never fails to make us laugh, he’s unquestionably serious about the issue of violence against women, with misogyny and discrimination frequently appearing as targets of his razor-sharp wit during his stand-up shows.

Who is Joe Wells?

Joe Wells is not only a brilliant stand-up comedian, but he is also a published writer and public speaker. Initially, Joe’s career began with the release of the book ‘Touch and Go Joe’, later he went to work delivering political stand-up comedy. In addition to stand-up, Joe Wells also hosts a podcast.

Joe Wells, achievements

• The Portsmouth Guide Award for Best Comedy 2014, 2017, 2018 – Winner
• Comedy Central Funniest Student 2010 – Winner
• New Act Of The Year (formerly Hackney Empire) 2011 – Finalist
• Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2012 – Runner Up
• The Guide Award for Best Comedy 2011 – Shortlisted
• London New Comedy Awards 2010 – Finalist
• The Guide Award for Best Comedy 2009 – Shortlisted

Joe Well’s at work

Joe Wells and Amnesty International

In addition to supporting women’s rights, Joe Wells has worked with Amnesty International by appearing on Amnesty TV – Episode 8. Here he is, doing what he does best for Amnesty International, discussing the misrepresentation of the human rights act by tabloid newspapers and how this affected a Tory Party conference speech.

You can also check out the fabulous Mr Wells (though not in a library book kinda way) AND show solidarity for victims and survivors of violence and abuse at Brighton’s Stand-Up to End Violence Against Women in December.

Joe Wells Think Tank

In 2015, Joe worked on a project called ‘Think Tank’ which was a live show and podcast in which comedians had the opportunity to voice their opinions and express ideas to a panel of real-life politicians. This show was held in the square tower in Portsmouth.

What is Joe working on now?

These days, Joe Wells can be found doing stand-up tours of the UK. He performs in a variety of comedy clubs across the nation, regularly performing at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, The Top Secret Comedy Club in London and in his hometown of Portsmouth.

Reviews of Joe Wells

And here’s what everyone else is saying about Joe:

“Joe Wells is a skilled jokesmith who threads great gags through intelligent political material that, whilst razor-sharp, is never particularly angry or dark. As the first gross gags open up into smarter, topical ones it’s clear that this is a tightly-structured, well thought-out set. Excellent jokes and sly political comment wrapped tightly in a western union online neat parcel which delivers regular, powerful laughs from a delighted audience. He spins new life out of easy targets like bankers and the BNP with some wonderful imagery” British Comedy Guide.

“A star of the future… some of the most surprising and thought-provoking material coming from any comedian in his early 20s” The Guardian.

“A much-needed voice against hypocrisy as well as a wonderfully talented stand-up comedian, Joe Wells uses his comedy to burst a gigantic hole in the sides of homophobia, misogyny and racism while still managing to remain funny throughout” Portsmouth Evening News.

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