Scrapping short jail terms in England and Wales puts women at risk, says abuse watchdog

Nicole Jacobs said the government had failed to respond to her call for perpetrators of domestic abuse to be exempted from the policy of scrapping short prison terms. Photograph: Mixmike/Getty Images

Abusive men in England and Wales will walk free from court under a new sentencing policy that flies in the face of ministers’ claims to take domestic violence seriously, an independent government watchdog has said.

Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, said ministers had not done enough to protect women from a decision to lift the pressures on overcrowded prisons by scrapping short prison sentences.