Under the current law perpetrators of domestic abuse have to be charged with offences which apply to the population generally (assault, harassment etc.). On 20th August the Home Secretary Theresa May announced a consultation on whether a specific crime of domestic abuse would improve police performance in this area. Although there are many offences under which domestic abuse can be categorised, none of these apply specifically to people in relationships. It is hoped that a specific offence of domestic abuse would make the police more effective as they would have clearer guidance about when they can intervene.
The current Government definition of domestic abuse is “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional”.
A specific criminal law based upon this definition is to be welcomed. The statistics for the 12 months to September 2013 show that 1 million of the calls made to police were reports of domestic abuse and domestic abuse accounts for 8% of all recorded crime. It is a well-known figure that two women are murdered each week in the UK by their partner or former partner.
The time when the police did not take domestic abuse seriously is, fortunately, a thing of the past. However, the figures show that there is a great deal more to do to reduce this crime and bring perpetrators to justice.
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