Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, has welcomed new laws protecting prison officers and other emergency workers, who are assaulted while undertaking their duties.
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart, confirmed to Drax on September 13 that the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act (2018) had received Royal Assent and was now law.
The Act makes assaulting any emergency worker carrying out their duty an aggravated offence carrying statutory penalties. It covers assaults and related assaults, with the maximum imprisonment allowed for common assault when committed against an emergency worker being increased from six months to 12 months.
“This comes not a moment too soon,” says Drax, “I have long been pressing for decisive action when those on the frontline are attacked during the course of their duties.”
“Until now, an attack on a person serving the public was only considered as an aggravating factor in sentencing guidelines. Now judges must, by law, consider such assaults as aggravated, which carries a heavier sentence.”
“Prison Officers deserve our support and Rory Stewart MP, Minister of State for Prisons, has committed to ensuring that this law will be upheld. Too often, assaults and crimes taking place in prison are ignored by the public and police, with not enough priority given to investigating them. The Minister reassured the House on 13th September that he will encourage the police to fully investigate these crimes in prisons.”
“I have written to the head of the Prison Officers Association at Portland to assure him that I will not hesitate to support his staff and to ensure that these new laws are followed to the letter.”
“More widely, it is important to remember that emergency workers include police, prison officers, custody officers, fire service personnel, search and rescue services and certain healthcare workers including ambulance personnel.”
The Bill was originally introduced by Chris Bryant MP as a Private Members Bill, which then topped an online poll of Bills which the public would like to see presented. The Government has supported the Bill throughout.