International Mechanism Submissions

The Advocates for Human Rights responds to a Call for Inputs issued by the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement. 

Police in Minnesota and the United States systematically fail to adequately support victims of  sexual assault and domestic violence. The current policing response is antithetical to building trust because it is not victim-centered, i.e. positions the victim's rights, needs and desires as a priority. The absence of a victim-centered approach gives rise to a lack of trust in the system since victims' needs are not met, or victims are even harmed further. As discussed in the report, police response to domestic violence cases often harms Black women victims. We propose to reimagine policing to be victim-centered, so when victims encounter systems actors in their efforts to reestablish their safety, responders are able to effectively make victims feel and be safe.