The devastating toll that persistent anti-social behaviour can take on victims has once again been laid bare in a new report from the victims commissioner – who is urging the government to strengthen the law.
A 2019 report from the commissioner, Anti-Social Behaviour: Living a Nightmare, revealed that victims felt persistently targeted by perpetrators and persistently ignored by those with the power to intervene.
Victims commissioner Baroness Newlove said 40% of victims spoken to for today’s report, Still living a nightmare: Understanding the experiences of victims of anti-social behaviour, said their ordeal pre-dated the 2019 report and is still ongoing.
One victim reported feeling suicidal. Some victims felt trapped in their homes. One victim spent £2,000 in solicitors’ fees taking civil action to make their ordeal stop. Newlove said anti-social behaviour is often minimalised but can ‘often be the precursor to serious crimes, including knife crime and gang activity. It’s so important that it is taken seriously by the agencies responding to it’.
‘Anti-social behaviour’ is not a specific criminal offence but some such behaviours taken together as a ‘course of conduct’ can become criminal acts. The report highlights a lack of awareness within agency bodies about the anti-social behaviour ‘case review’. Formerly known as the ‘community trigger’, it was introduced in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and gives people who report persistent anti-social behaviour to the council, police or housing provider the right to request a multi-agency case review where a local threshold is met.
The Home Office is urged to update statutory guidance and require agencies to clearly explain the case review process to victims who file a second complaint of anti-social behaviour within six months.
The Ministry of Justice should consult on updating the Victims Code to make it clear that when behaviour amounts to a criminal offence, regardless of whether police decide to pursue criminal charges, victims fall within the ambit of the code and referred to local support services.
