New figures show better reporting of domestic abuse

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Domestic Abuse, Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said:

“Today’s figures show that we are improving the way that police, prosecutors and wider society understand and deal with cases of domestic abuse. More people are coming forward to report this complex and often hidden crime type and as a result we have seen higher levels of prosecutions and arrests overall.

“However, we know that many victims still do not report domestic abuse to us so we are working to give people confidence that police will always act to safeguard victims as a priority, such as through issuing protection orders or working directly with victims’ charities. No one should live in fear of domestic abuse and every victim should be safer for having contacted the police.

“All police forces constantly review the way that they handle these cases to ensure we are putting the victim at the heart of investigations and strengthening our coordinated response across the criminal justice system. As the national lead I will be examining this report carefully and ensure that all chief officers are aware of the key findings.”

The full study is available here.