Resource Summary
This briefing shows that the offence of Assault Against an Emergency Worker (AAEW) is disproportionately criminalising vulnerable women — including those in mental health crisis, experiencing domestic abuse, or reacting to fear, trauma and restraint. Women described being arrested when calling for help, misidentified as perpetrators, or charged for trauma‑driven responses. AAEW prosecutions have risen sharply, now accounting for 52% of women’s violence‑against‑the‑person prosecutions.
Resource Information
| Format: | briefing paper |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Women in Prison |
| Themes: | criminal justice, domestic and sexual abuse, mental health, multiple disadvantage, partnership working, peer support, racial disparities, women centres & women's specialist services |
| Published: | September 2026 |
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