Lockdown sees domestic abuse rise by over a fifth
Domestic abuse in Bath and North East Somerset has jumped by more than a fifth during lockdown.
Between March and May this year, Avon and Somerset police recorded 408 domestic abuse crimes in B&NES, exclusive figures reveal.
That was an increase of 21 per cent compared to the same quarter in 2019, when there were 337 such crimes. Figures, obtained following a Freedom of Information request, show the highest number of crimes since March 2020 was recorded in May, with 243 reported.
That compares to May 2019, when 201 such crimes were reported to the police.
Overall, Avon and Somerset police recorded 5,604 domestic abuse crimes, up from 4,644 such crimes seen in the same period in 2019.
Across the 35 police forces that have disclosed the information, the number of crimes has increased by seven per cent, from 136,079 between March and May 2019 to 145,214 between the same quarter this year. Back in April, the Home Affairs Committee called for a government domestic abuse strategy, both for lockdown and after.
According to the committee, the strategy should combine awareness, prevention, victim support, housing and a criminal justice response, backed by dedicated funding and ministerial leadership.
Launching the report, the chair of the Home Affairs Committee Yvette Cooper said: “We are calling for new emergency funding for support services, new ways for victims to access help through supermarkets and pharmacies, outreach visits to known vulnerable households, support for children and a new guarantee of safe housing for anyone needing to leave their home during lockdown because of abuse.”
According to the report, calls and contacts to helplines increased markedly in April.
In a survey in April, over twothirds of survivors told the charity Women’s Aid that domestic abuse had escalated under lockdown and 72 per cent said their abuser had more control over their life.
Most service providers told the charity in the same month they were concerned there would be an increase in demand once lockdown measures were lifted.
A combination of challenges in meeting demand and the fact women are less able to escape safely, has meant some services have not been able to accept new referrals – with an increase expected as lockdown eases, twothirds of providers said they were concerned about the increase in demand.
The Home Affairs Committee also heard evidence domestic abuse incidents were becoming more complex and serious, with higher levels of physical violence and coercive control.
Counting Dead Women, a project recording the killing of women by men in the UK, calculated at least 33 women have been killed by men (or where a man is the principal suspect) since the beginning of lockdown on March 23.
Provisional data released at the end of May by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) showed a four per cent increase in domestic abuse, against an overall 25 per cent reduction in recorded crimes.
Not all reported incidents will result in a crime being identified and recorded, and not all abuse will be reported, meaning the increase could be even bigger.
The surge in domestic abuse exacerbated by lockdown rules is a global issue.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a 60 per cent surge in emergency calls about domestic abuse across European member states in April, compared to a year before.