Domestic abuse victims to have more support
22/01/2019
Victims of domestic abuse have received a boost of support following new measures to be introduced by government.
Ministers believe the landmark legislation will protect victims by extending the legal definition of domestic abuse to include economic abuse and control. The draft law will also stop abusers from cross-examining their victims in court.
The change acknowledges that domestic abuse is more than just physical; that it affects those who suffer at the hands of abusive partners who coerce or manipulate, or take control of their victim’s finances.
Other measures being put into place by the draft bill will force abusers to engage in behaviour-changing rehabilitation programmes. Victims will also be automatically given special protection when giving evidence at trial and a national ‘domestic abuse commissioner’ will be appointed to improve the response and support for victims across public services.
Importantly, the new legislation will clarify the workings of ‘Clare's Law’ – a measure which allows the police to advise a member of the public of concerns over a partner's previous violence. Clare’s Law was introduced after Clare Wood, a 36 year-old mum from Salford, was strangled and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend, George Appleton in 2009. It transpired that Appleton had a history of violence against women, having previously been jailed for three years for harassing another woman and for six months after breaching a restraining order on an ex-girlfriend.
The long-awaited amendments follow estimates from government experts who put the cost of domestic abuse at £66 billion in 2016/2017. Figures released by the Office of National Statistics revealed that in the year ending March 2018, respondents to the Crime Survey for England and Wales showed that two million people, aged 16-59, had been a victim of domestic abuse.
Of those who responded, 1.3 million were women, while male victims amounted to 695,000. Despite 89,091 cases resulting in prosecution, the survey highlighted that there were only 38 arrests for every 100 domestic abuse crimes recorded. It also showed that 12% of prosecutions failed after the victim changed their mind about giving evidence at trial.
Russell & Russell has specialist lawyers who are trained to deal with domestic abuse cases. They’re able to obtain injunctions and can apply for legal aid on behalf of clients. If you’d like to know more, call us on 0800 103 2600.