18 Nov 2022

Results of techUK’s VAWG Digital & Tech Working Group

techUK is delighted to announce the results of its new working group looking at preventing and tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). See which members made it onto the group…

Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth leads the VAWG taskforce, established in 2021 to deliver a step change in the police response to tackling violence against women and girls. The VAWG framework for delivery focuses on restoring public confidence, relentlessly pursuing perpetrators and creating safer spaces. This work is well underway and leading to tangible improvements that have been highlighted in the recent HMICFRS inspection on how policing tackles VAWG.

Alongside the framework published in December, a digital strategic intent has been developed, linked to the three pillars of the VAWG framework:

Create a single online reporting route for violence against women and girls, which enables victims to report and to access the support they need, when they need it.
Adopt, adapt and create products that develop a digitally competent, confident and capable workforce in order to relentlessly pursue perpetrators and protect victims.
Make offender-hostile online environments, working with tech providers to design out VAWG in online spaces and for the tech industry to support upstander not bystander behaviour.

These three objectives are underpinned by building a dynamic intelligence picture on threats and opportunities, which can help prevent violence against women and girls, pursue perpetrators, and deliver better criminal justice outcomes for victims. This will inform the Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment (STRA) on VAWG that will be published in March 2023.

To support this digital strategic intent, we hosted a roundtable to launch the partnership between Policing and the technology sector, exploring opportunities for digital technology to prevent and tackle VAWG.

Congratulations to the following members:

Andy Wilkins, Futr

Ben Hargreaves, BAE Systems

Brian Cliff, NTT Data

Charlotte Hails, Virgin Media o2

Claire Carter, Frazer Nash

Claire Handy, Blue Lights Digital

Dr. Olga Jurasz, Open University

Ed Hardman, CDS

Julia Muraszkiewicz, Trilateral Research

Laura Milne, CGI

Lily Robinson, Accenture

Mandeep Dhensa, Faculty AI

Scott Hart, Microsoft

Sean McConnell, Datactics

Shirley Berry, Me Learning

Simon Franc, Kulpa

Simon McKeown, Capita

Sophie Kelly, Orlo

Steve Norris, Salesforce

Sue Holloway, NEC

If you want to learn more about techUK’s work across this space, please reach out to the team using the details below.

Dave Evans

Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK

Dave is a former senior police officer with the City of London Police, bringing extensive experience as a Detective and senior leader across frontline operations and multi-agency partnerships at regional and national levels.

He has led and supported responses to major national incidents, including mass casualty events, counter-terrorism operations and large-scale public disorder, working closely with partners across the criminal justice sector.

Alongside his public service, Dave has also held leadership roles in the private sector, managing projects focused on intellectual property and licensing. His combined experience across both sectors gives him a deep understanding of how collaboration between service providers and end users can strengthen resilience and trust.

Read lessmore

Cinzia Miatto

Programme Manager - Justice & Emergency Services, techUK

Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.

The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.

Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.

Email:: [email protected]

Read lessmore

Ella Gago-Brookes

Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK

Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes, before progressing into Junior Programme Manager in January 2024.

Before joining the team, she was working at the Magistrates' Courts in legal administration and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022. Ella attained an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in International Relations and Security Studies, with a particular interest in studying asylum rights and gendered violence.

In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, watching true crime documentaries, travelling, and making her best attempts to become a better cook.

Email:: [email protected]

Read lessmore

Fran Richiusa

Programme Team Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK

Fran serves as the Programme Team Assistant within techUK’s Public Sector Market Programmes, where she is responsible for delivering comprehensive team support, managing administrative functions, and fostering strong relationships with members.

Prior to joining techUK in May 2025, Fran built a meaningful career in the charitable and local government sectors. She worked extensively with both victims and perpetrators of crime, and notably led the coordination of Domestic Homicide Reviews across Surrey—an initiative aimed at identifying lessons and preventing future incidents of domestic abuse.

Outside of work, Fran is an avid traveller and a proud cat mum who enjoys unwinding with her feline companions.