Council and democracy

Top international figures meet at Croydon's Family Justice Centre to discuss emerging issues

Speakers from around the world will discuss issues ranging from honour-based violence and forced marriages to sexual exploitation of children. 

The conference will also hear from the families of victims of domestic violence and stalking, including Tricia Bernal and Carol Faruqai who will launch their trust, CRT, at the conference. CRT's campaign for more family justice centres to be opened in the United Kingdom coincides with a discussion on the developments of these centres.

Croydon is home to Europe's only Family Justice Centre (FJC), which will have been open for over two years when the conference convenes. During that time it has helped more than 9,500 families and has prevented many murders in the last year alone.

By examining the emerging issues, the conference aims to highlight the need for action and the impact on families and other areas of crime resulting from inaction.

The Croydon Family Justice Centre, an initiative between Croydon Council, Croydon Police and Croydon Primary Care Trust, opened in December 2005. It was developed with help from the San Diego Family Justice Center, in the US. Before the centre opened, services designed to help victims of domestic and family violence (adults, children and extended family) were scattered throughout the community. Now, victims and their relatives have easy access to comprehensive medical and legal services, police officers, probation officers, doctors, counsellors, advocates, social workers, housing providers, benefit advice, education providers, children's services, adult education groups, and other services working from just one location, co-ordinated by a single body.

Cabinet member for safety and cohesion, Councillor Steve O'Connell said: "Croydon's Family Justice Centre is proving to be an effective response in helping families to break the cycle of domestic and family violence. We help hundreds of families each month. Quite simply this centre saves lives.

"We've brought dozens of services together under one roof to give victims the help they need to rebuild their lives. This conference will look at the issues we face today and how we can continue to improve co-ordination of working relationships with agencies and community organisations.

"It is people working together who bring far greater change than any one agency or policy."