Refuge responds to latest ‘Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview’ from the Office of National Statistics

Responding to the latest ‘Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview’ from the Office for National Statistics, Abigail Ampofo, interim CEO of Refuge, said: 

“Today’s ONS data confirms that male violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains at horrifically high levels, with around 1.6 million women experiencing domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024.  However, these figures are likely to represent the tip of the iceberg as VAWG remains severely under-reported.

“While people of all genders experience domestic abuse, the new figures show that the victim was female in 72.5% of domestic abuse-related crimes, while 64.5% of victims in domestic homicides were women.

“The number of offenders convicted in this time period was 38,776, a staggeringly low figure considering the horrific prevalence of domestic abuse and VAWG. Refuge has been long been campaigning for improved police response to domestic abuse, so it is extremely disappointing to see that the justice system is continuing to fail survivors.

“Around 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, while 1 woman is killed by her partner or ex-partner every 5 days. While Refuge welcomed the Government’s pledge to halve VAWG within the next decade, it is vital that we start to see real, tangible solutions to combat this devastating epidemic of violence and abuse.

“Refuge is pleased the piloting of new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) are finally getting up and running today. This is long overdue and will allow more tools for the police and other agencies to implement protections for survivors of domestic abuse. However, we know there are a myriad of issues when it comes to police using their powers to protect survivors and hold perpetrators to account. Often survivors tell us that the police don’t act on breaches of these orders, and they are often worth ‘little more than the paper they are written on’.

“For DAPOs to work and provide survivors with real protections from abusers we need a real sea change in internal policing culture and the police forces response to domestic abuse overall. The focus needs to be on quality and mandatory training for all officers on how to issue and monitor these orders, and act swiftly if they are breached, as well as specialist training around the dynamics of domestic abuse.

“We have also made clear that the Government’s plans to halve VAWG cannot be delivered without reversing the chronic underfunding that has been hindering the sector for years.

“VAWG services provide lifesaving support to thousands of women and girls every year, but many are at breaking point. Refuge has made clear to the Government that the epidemic of male violence against women and girls will not cease until we see long-term, dedicated funding for support services. Our mission to support as many survivors as possible will not end until we live in a world where domestic abuse and VAWG is not tolerated. The Government must play its part in helping us achieve this.”