‘The right to be believed’ – Report launch

The right to be believed” are the words from a migrant survivor who was questioned about her immigration status by the police when reporting abuse. This report, authored by Professor Cathy McIlwaine from Kings College London with the Latin American Women Rights Service and the Step Up Migrant women (SUMW) coalition, reveals the experiences of migrant women survivors with insecure immigration status reporting to the police.

Key findings include:

• 2 in 3 migrant women felt that they would not be believed.
• More than half believed that the police would side with the perpetrator.
• The most commonly cited factor preventing them from reporting was fear of deportation

Speakers include:

• Migrant survivors
• Claire Waxman, GLA Victims Commissioner
• Lucila Granada, director at the Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS)
• Professor Cathy McIlwaine, Kings College London
• Illary Valenzuela-Oblitas, VAWG policy and communications coordinator at LAWRS
• Specialist and Black and ‘Minority Ethnic’ organisations in the women sector and members of the SUMW Coalition
• Spoken word and music
• This event is organised by the Latin American Women Rights Service as part of the Step Up Migrant Women campaign.