Robert Surcouf

By Robert Surcouf

THERE seems to be so many different government consultations and reports and too often they create more questions than answers, so it was very refreshing to see the level of research and the quality of the recommendations in the most recent report by the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce.

The report I found to be very professionally researched and well balanced in its analysis of the findings from the various interviews. Some sections did make for difficult reading, but they must be read, understood and acted on for the benefit of all in our society.

The report makes a total of 77 recommendations, many of which are fundamentally a commitment to do better, but there are some very practical recommendations that can clearly make an immediate difference.

While the focus of the report was with respect to violence against women and girls, many of the recommendations would be of benefit to all in our society by providing a safer community with greater understanding and empathy for victims of any form of coercion or violence.

Many of the recommendations are focused on supporting victims and ensuring our police and courts listen and learn, and provide access to justice in a transparent manner. Focus is also rightly given to educate all in our society and most especially within our school system so that, with time, many of the forms of violence that were highlighted in the report would reduce materially as the next generation better understands what is and is not acceptable behaviour.

This educational process is incredibly important, as many of our youngsters now consume personal advice on lifestyle choices through social media influencers such as Andrew Tate – perhaps the most extreme example known to me. Having spoken to a few teachers, they have come across several students who view the life choices that Tate presents as being a reasonable way to live and behave. They raised concerns that many parents did not appreciate the impact of such influencers and the topics that were being promoted through their social media channels. Considering their comments, I recently watched a documentary about Tate, who currently faces charges in Romania of rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.

The documentary was eye opening as a father of a 16-year-old son when you considered the misogynistic advice that was being spouted by this “influencer” and his followers. The techniques that were being used to manipulate people were similar in nature to those used by scammers but were clearly remarkably effective. After the documentary I took some time to sit with my son to gauge his understanding of Tate and other influencers like him. Thankfully, he already saw through the glitz and glamour and recognised the misogynistic coercion, which was being promoted as normal behaviour, as being totally unacceptable. However, he did admit that many people he knew were intrigued by the Tate story and all the wealth and trappings it seemed to offer, but more recently had become more aware of the darker side of what to me looks more like a cult.

In light of this conversation, which I am sure many other parents have had with their children, there is a need to ensure that our education system is also supporting our young people to truly question and understand what they see in social media. We need them to question what influencers are trying to sell them as a lifestyle and recognise that it might not truly be real. As many of us have been targeted by scammers trying to part us from our hard-earned money, there are clearly many others after something more valuable – our children’s futures.

This is not new, as history is littered with examples where the young have been influenced by charlatans and those with a warped sense of right and wrong. Such personalities now have the most cost effective and easy-to-use medium to spread their terrifying messages. Even more significant is the ability to develop so-called “deep-fake” content to further influence the susceptible, which is now just a matter of a few clicks. We ignore history at our peril with these new tools that are so readily available.

If you have not had a chance to read the report by the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, then I strongly recommend that you read it. If you have children, perhaps discuss key findings and do what you can to support its adoption and the roll-out of the 77 recommendations as soon as possible.

It was right that this task force was constituted, and the topic examined in the independent and professional manner it has been. In so doing we are learning from our own history and past failings to recognise and accept that not everything was perfect in the island we call our home and that too many have suffered and continue to suffer. We are incredibly lucky that such a quality report has been prepared and that so many people shared their experiences, which for many would have been traumatic. But by doing this they will have achieved so much, provided this report does not end up on a shelf collecting dust. To those who participated I say a big thank you. For those in power, please run with this report and make the necessary changes.

  • Robert Surcouf comes from a Jersey farming family, though his mother was Spanish and moved to Jersey in the 1960s. He became an accountant and now specialises in risk and enterprise management. A father of two school-age children, he still helps organise and participates in local motorsport events and was one of the founding members of Better Way 2022 before the last election. The views expressed are his own.