PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence (31 January 2023)

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards any worker is not acceptable. We introduced a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker via section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The aggravating factor applies in cases of assault where an offence is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This legislative change ensures the courts treat the public-facing nature of a victim’s role as an aggravating factor when considering the sentence for an offence.

The Home Office continues to work closely with retailers, trade associations and the police through the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) to encourage retailers to work with police so that crimes are effectively dealt with at a local level. The NRCSG has produced practical resources to assist retailers to report crimes when they occur. These are available here.Violence and Abuse Against Shop Workers (brc.org.uk)

We have published guidance Section 4: Victim Services and Victim Care (brc.org.uk)on the use of Impact Statements for Business which provide victims with the opportunity to tell the police and courts about how the crime has affected them.

Charging decisions are a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service.