The FXU Presidents and members of the FXU Leadership Team have sent an open letter to local MP Sarah Newton requesting that she ratify the Istanbul Convention into UK Law.

The open letter is as follows:

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Dear Sarah Newton MP (Truro and Falmouth),

There is a Private Members’ Bill vote on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence on 16th December 2016. As the elected student representatives for over 6000 students, many of whom including ourselves are your constituents, we are writing to ask you to attend on that day to vote to ratify the Istanbul Convention into UK Law. This is a crucial moment in the efforts to free women and girls from violence.

In the UK two women a week are killed by current or former partners. Last year there were 92,779 prosecutions of domestic abuse cases and 84% of the victims were female. In 2015 Devon and Cornwall Police said reducing domestic abuse was a priority for them. Nationally, the police receive an emergency call relating to domestic violence every 30 seconds. The vast majority of domestic violence incidents are not reported to the police and only 1 in 5 women using domestic abuse services have seen criminal proceedings brought against their perpetrator. Needless to say, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The UK's domestic violence services are woefully inadequate. Last year 66% of women and children referred to domestic violence refuges were turned away, for the most part, because there was not enough bed space (see Women's Aid Annual Survey 2015 for statistics).

The Istanbul convention is the single most constructive move that has been made towards ending violence against women and girls globally. It requires 44 signatory states to protect funding for domestic violence shelters, rape crises centres, 24/7 helplines and to offer counselling to survivors of abuse; to ensure education on healthy relationships in school and to guarantee awareness-raising campaigns. Over half the states who signed the Istanbul Convention have now ratified it into their own domestic law, including Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Portugal, France and Romania. The U.K., which promotes itself as a leader in women and girls' rights, signed the Convention in June 2012 but has as yet failed to ratify it, despite repeated promises it will.

Our failure to ratify this convention, which we helped to draft, is embarrassing. The UK claims this failure is due to potential incompatibility of the Convention with domestic law. This is completely untrue. The Convention and UK domestic law are entirely compatible. The issue is that the funding of domestic violence refuges, required by the Istanbul Convention, is not compatible with the Government's spending cuts agenda. I would ask you to please consider that failing to properly fund domestic violence services is a false economy. Domestic abuse costs the UK £5.5billion per year through criminal prosecutions, medical costs, loss of earnings, social services etc. The emotional costs to the 20% of the UK's children who are exposed to domestic abuse is unquantifiable.

This bill to ratify the Istanbul Convention rightly has cross-party endorsement. Please respond as soon as possible to let myself and the other signatories know if you will attend the vote and support this bill.

Yours sincerely,

Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson (FXU President Student Experience)
Alexa Webster (FXU President Community and Welfare)
Tom Murray-Richards (FXU Exeter President)
Chris Slesser (FXU Falmouth President)

This letter is supported by:

Wajeeha Sheikh (FXU Student Trustee, Exeter)
Line Vangen (FXU Student Trustee, Falmouth)
Yvonne Caroll (FXU Feminist Society President)
Lisa Burton (FXU Student Voice Chairperson)
Bella Frimpong (FXU Liberation Chairperson)
Sebastian Mitchell (FXU Faith Chairperson)
Mackinlay Ingham (FXU Womens’ Officer)

Kieran Cutting (FXU Community Executive Officer)
Hannah Smith (FXU Raise and Donate Officer)
Mathilde Baade (FXU International Executive Officer)
Ellen Whitby (FXU Volunteering Executive Officer)
Sienna Somers (FXU Environment and Ethics Executive Officer)
Anne Thorn (FXU Mature Student Officer)
Jaimin Sadiwala (FXU Sports Officer)
Jamal Clarke (FXU Societies Officer)
Dean Pomeroy (FXU Exeter Undergraduate Education Officer)
Miri Ritchter-Hill (FXU Falmouth Undergraduate Education Officer)
Bailey Hoare (FXU Exeter Postgraduate Officer)
Sam Green (FXU Exeter Postgraduate Research Officer)
Dan Wilcox & Becci Winstone (FXU Falmouth Postgraduate Officers)
Ciaran Clarke (FXU Falmouth Postgraduate Research Officer)
Laura Goodhead (FXU Exeter Open Officer)
Jack Gardner (FXU Falmouth Open Officer)