New victims' commissioner announced for London

Andrea Simon has been announced as the new victims' commissioner for London.

The founding member of the mayor's London Policing Board and co-chair of the London VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) Board, she takes up the role after five years as the director of End Violence Against Women.

Ms Simon campaigns on issues related to the safety of women and prevention of child trafficking and modern slavery.

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said: "Andrea brings an incredible wealth of knowledge, experience and passion to the role and she will stand up for survivors of crime across the capital, making sure their voices are heard."

Ms Simon said it was a "privilege" to be taking up the victims' commissioner role.

"It is critical that all victims receive the responses they are entitled to when they report crime, but this is too often not the case, particularly for those from more marginalised communities," she said.

"I remain committed to working to tackling structural barriers to accessing justice, and ensuring all victims have their rights respected and upheld."

The mayor added: "I know that Andrea is committed to being a strong voice for victims of crime and will work tirelessly to help reform the criminal justice system so that it supports victims every step of the way, as we continue building a fairer, safer London for everyone."

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