In July, our VAWG Outreach Lead, Ziona Handler, trained 300 of newly recruited Metropolitan Police Officers at the Hendon Police College.

The training offered an overview of Jewish culture and practice covering the important topics of Shabbat, Kashrut and the laws of Family Purity. We discussed the barriers to reporting abuse in the Jewish community and how these additional obstacles, including Gett refusal, might impact Jewish women affected by these issues. The training encompassed important points to remember when supporting the Jewish community impacted by violence against women and girls (VAWG) including, using sensitive language so that Jewish women will feel understood and supported should they need to contact the police.

We want to thank Cherelle Brown who has been so supportive of our work.

We now feel that we can reassure our clients when supporting them to call the police if they feel threatened and it is safe to do so, that the Met Police have had cultural sensitivity training and will be able to answer their calls with appropriate compassion.