Domestic abuse referrals increase worrying

Life in lockdown may have contributed to a huge surge in the number of domestic abuse referrals recorded by NHS Fife in recent years, agencies fear.

Worrying new figures released under Freedom of Information (FOI) has revealed that there were 20 referrals made by the region’s health board in 2020, which represents a five-fold increase on the four recorded back in 2018.

More than half of those cases, 11, were deemed serious enough to be taken to a MultiAgency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between representatives of local police, health, child protection, housing and other specialists from statutory and voluntary sectors.

However, further concerns have been raised about the impact of Covid restrictions after it emerged four referrals had already been made by NHS Fife in the first 40 days of 2021.

One of those four, which is already a fifth of the total number recorded in the whole of 2019, was taken to MARAC.

Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, has urged people who have been victims of abuse of any kind to come forward.

She said: “As lockdown and other measures ease, our local groups are anticipating even more demand for their specialist services as survivors begin to have more opportunities to seek support.

“The challenges they’ve faced have been huge as Covid-19 has given abusers more tools to control and harm women and children.”

The figures contrast with 2016, when three referrals – all of which were subsequently taken to MARAC – were made by NHS Fife.