62 VAWG organisations write to Education Secretary about Fordingbridge rapes

Following the awful rapes of girls in Fordingbridge and the filming and sharing of the abuse online, 62 organisations working to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) have today (11th June 2026) written to Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education to express deep concern about the lack of action to prevent VAWG among young people.

While much of the immediate response focused on the sentencing, we believe this horrific case also exposes the desperate need for greater action to prevent VAWG. It is unacceptable that another generation of girls are being subjected to sexual violence with action inspired only after the very worst harms have occurred. Women and girls deserve better, and we must end this cycle.

Sexual violence devastates victims’ lives. Its impacts ripple out across families and communities. Perpetrators must be held accountable, and the government must take seriously its responsibility for a society in which boys and young men execute such appalling violence as a group.

This case is horrific, and we know that it is not an isolated incident. Sexual violence is disturbingly common, including among children and young people. The most common age of survivors and perpetrators of sexual violence is between 11–20 years old. Peer-on-peer abuse accounts for just over a half (52%) of all child sexual abuse and exploitation offences recorded in England and Wales, and Office for National Statistics data shows 16-19 as the most common age for domestic abuse.

Sexual violence is preventable, not inevitable. Further details are emerging regarding the boys’ history which suggests missed opportunities to intervene, and ultimately prevent the attacks.

The VAWG strategy has a welcome focus on prevention as central to the government’s approach. However, the 62 organisations signing the letter, including End Violence Against Women Coalition, Women’s Aid Federation of England, Rape Crisis England & Wales, Refuge, Imkaan, Respect, Girlguiding and Fawcett Society, are concerned by the Department for Education’s lack of progress and prioritisation of the prevention of VAWG. The pace, ambition and accompanying funding does not yet meet the scale of the problem. It is women and girls who bear the brunt of such inaction.

Rebecca Hitchen, Head of Policy & Campaigns at the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said:

“We are horrified by the appalling rapes in Fordingbridge and send our support and solidarity to the victims and their families. This kind of violence cannot, and should not be, an inevitable part of life. It is preventable. No woman or girl should be subjected to such traumatic abuse.

This is not just a criminal justice issue – every part of society has a role to play in preventing violence against women and girls. Every government department must urgently prioritise the roles assigned under the VAWG Strategy. Given its integral part in prevention, the Department for Education must not stall on its responsibilities any longer.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

• Link to the letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HG2-yoraOvfEAZjp3T4eJq3b7RO6FCoeRx9tKgR72BY/edit?tab=t.0
• Full list of signatories:

1. 1. Janaya Walker, Interim Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition
   2. Ghadah Alnasseri, Executive Director, Imkaan
   3. Halaleh Taheri, Executive Director of Middle Eastern Women and Society organisation-MEWSo
   4. Red Godfrey-Sagoo. CEO Rape Crisis South London
   5. Natasha Rattu, CEO, Karma Nirvana
   6. Jo Choi, Interim CEO, Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse
   7. Angie Herrera, Director, Latin American Women’s Aid
   8. Nahar Choudhury, CEO, Solace
   9. Debbie Brazil, CEO, End Sexism in Schools
   10. Gisela Valle, Director, Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS)
   11. Sally Jackson Lead for ending male violence against Women, FiLiA
   12. Sarah Hill, CEO, IDAS
   13. Bernie Ryan, CEO, Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS)
   14. Gisela Valle, Director, Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS)
   15. Elize Freeman, Co-Lead, Dewis Choice, Aberystwyth University
   16. Angie Airlie, CEO, Stay Safe East
   17. Zohra Davis ,Caretaker CEO, Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Centre
   18. Nina Humphries, Director, UK Feminista
   19. Medina Johnson, Chief Executive, IRISi
   20. Hera Hussain, CEO, Chayn
   21. Liz Mack, CEO, Advance
   22. Shaminder Ubhi, CEO, Ashiana Network
   23. Penny East, Chief Executive, Fawcett Society
   24. Professor Fiona Vera-Gray, Co-Director, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University
   25. Elizabeth Jiménez-Yáñez, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Hibiscus
   26. Faustine Petron, Founder, Make it Mandatory
   27. Lucy Emmerson, Chief Executive, Sex Education Forum
   28. Sarbjit Ganger- Asian Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC)
   29. Joy Doal, CEO, Anawim – Birmingham’s Centre for Women
   30. Isha Abdulkadir- FORWARDUK
   31. Emma Slinn, UsToo ARC England (Association for Real Change)
   32. Donna Hill, Head of Coram SCARF
   33. Rose Caldwell, CEO, Plan International UK
   34. Helen Marshall, CEO, Brook
   35. Carey Philpott, CEO, SATEDA
   36. Soma Sara, CEO and Founder, Everyone’s Invited
   37. Selma Taha, Executive Director, Southall Black Sisters (SBS)
   38. Maureen Connolly, CEO, Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid
   39. Natasha Eeles, CEO and Founder, Bold Voices
   40. Susie McDonald, CEO, Tender Education & Arts
   41. Jo Todd, CEO, Respect
   42. Amy Forbes-Robertson, Director, It Happens Education
   43. Harriet Wistrich, CEO Centre for Women’s Justice
   44. Paddy Crump, Campaign Director, FlippGen
   45. Estelle du Boulay, Director, Rights of Women
   46. Daniel Kebede, General Secretary, NEU
   47. Jasmine Mohammad, Director, Safety4Sisters
   48. Tracey Bleakley, CEO, SafeLives
   49. Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive, Women’s Aid
   50. Gemma Sherrington, CEO, Refuge
   51. Ciara Bergman, CEO, Rape Crisis England & Wales
   52. Felicity Oswald, CEO, Girlguiding UK
   53. Paula Clarke, CEO, Juno Women’s Aid
   54. Deborah Oyelakin, LVAWG Consortium Prevention & Housing
   55. Akima Thomas, CEO, Women and Girls Network
   56. Gurpreet Virdee, CEO, Women and Girls Network
   57. Police Spies Out Of Lives
   58. Kyla Kirkpatrick, Director, The Drive Partnership
   59. Daniel Guinness, Managing Director, Beyond Equality
   60. Leonie Tanczer, Associate Professor, UCL Computer Science, Gender and Tech Research Lab
   61. Sam Clifford, Jewish Women’s Aid
   62. Jackie May, CEO, The Women’s Centre Cornwall