The violent husbands let off with a handshake

THOUSANDS of violent thugs who beat up their partners are avoiding prosecution simply by saying sorry or shaking hands.

Police are using ‘restorative justice’ – where victims meet offenders face-to-face – to deal with domestic abuse cases.

Supporters of the initiative, also known as community resolution, claim it is a fairer way to deal with offenders while still giving ‘closure’ to those they have wronged.

But MPs and campaigners say it could allow abusers to escape prosecution while exerting more control over their victim.

Research by academics at Durham University found that police forces in England and Wales used restorative justice to deal with cases of domestic violence 5,625 times in 2014.

It was mostly used at street level by officers responding to incidents as an alternative to prosecution, despite this being contrary to guidance.

Justice minister Sam Gyimah said abusers should be prosecuted ‘wherever possible’. But he added: ‘There can be a place for restorative justice alongside prosecution ... with the strict caveat that it will be carried out with effective and ongoing risk assessment and safeguarding.’