CAT/C/GBR/CO/6 Sexual and gender-based violence 56. The Committee is concerned about reports that State party officials are recording increasing numbers of domestic abuse crimes and sexual offences, mainly against women, while also recording low prosecution and conviction rates in these cases. In light of this, the Committee is particularly concerned that the majority of the United Kingdom police forces have reported sharing information about the immigration status of victims of crimes with the Home Office, which reportedly deters migrant women with insecure immigration status from reporting and seeking protection from domestic abuse and other gender-based violence. The Committee welcomes the Government’s recent pledge, in response to the increased number of victims seeking assistance, to dedicate substantial funds until 2020 to provide front-line services for victims of gender-based violence, including for rape support centres. The Committee draws the attention of the State party to reports indicating that there is insufficient funding for refuges and specialist domestic abuse services, especially in England and Wales. The Committee appreciates the information provided by the State party about initiatives to combat female genital mutilation and forced marriage, but remains concerned about reports that significant numbers of girls continue to be subjected to such practices in the State party (arts. 2 and 16). 57. The State party should: (a) Take effective measures to address low prosecution and conviction rates for domestic abuse and sexual violence in the State party, and to ensure that all cases of gender-based violence, especially those involving actions or omissions by State authorities or other entities that engage the international responsibility of the State party under the Convention, are thoroughly investigated, that the alleged perpetrators are prosecuted and, if convicted, punished appropriately, and that the victims or their families receive redress, including adequate compensation; (b) Consider revising police practices that deter migrant women from seeking protection from the authorities in cases where they have been subjected to or are at risk of gender-based violence; (c) Provide mandatory training on the prosecution of gender-based violence to all justice officials and law enforcement personnel and continue awareness-raising campaigns on all forms of violence against women; (d) Carry out a review of the availability of refuges, specialist domestic abuse services and rape support centres throughout the State party to ensure that the provision of increased funding results in all women who are victims of gender-based violence in the State party having access to the necessary support and services; (e) Compile and provide to the Committee statistical data, disaggregated by the age and ethnicity or nationality of the victim, on the number of complaints, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sentences recorded in cases of genderbased violence, as well as on the measures adopted to ensure that victims have access to effective remedies and reparation; (f) Review the effectiveness of preventive and protection measures in place for children at risk of female genital mutilation and forced marriage in the State party. Trafficking 58. The Committee values the efforts made by the State party to combat modern slavery and notes the delegation’s statement that the increasing number of referrals of trafficking victims to the National Referral Mechanism has started to translate into higher rates of prosecution and conviction of perpetrators. However, the Committee remains concerned about reports that law enforcement officers are not adequately trained in identifying victims of trafficking; that the specialist care and support for trafficked children provided for in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 has not been put into place in practice; that potential victims of trafficking are not provided with adequate subsistence support, rendering them vulnerable to revictimization; and that victims of trafficking are unable to obtain remedies, including compensation, in practice (arts. 2 and 16). 13