Children not present at violent incidents still to be treated as domestic abuse victims

‘Growing up in a violent and toxic home has a hugely damaging and lasting impact on children’

CHILDREN who have been affected by domestic abuse will be treated as victims whether or not they were present during violent incidents, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

Under the updated legal guidance, children will gave automatic access to support such as mental health and safeguarding services.

Prosecutors will also be asked to specifically consider the effect that domestic abuse has on children when making a charging decision.

This will include speaking to schools or children’s services to support evidence of long-term abuse.

Kate Brown, CPS domestic abuse lead, said: “Growing up in a violent and toxic home has a hugely damaging and long-lasting impact on children. This guidance, which recognises them as victims, not only offers them automatic support but means the effect on them is [seen] as part of the justice process.

“There’s no doubt that having a clear understanding of the family dynamic and how a young victim may respond to the criminal justice process, will help us bring more abusers to court.”

She added: “Domestic abuse represents a third of all crime referred to the CPS. We are dedicated to improving every aspect of how these cases are handled so victims can come forward with confidence,” she said.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated 2.4 million adults aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2022 (1.7 million women and 699,000 men).

This equates to a prevalence rate of about 5 per cent of adults, 6.9 per cent of women and 3 per cent of men.

One in seven children and young people under the age of 18 will have lived with domestic violence at some point in their childhood.

During the pandemic the number of children referred to social services because of domestic violence in their homes increased by nearly 10 per cent.

There were 244,200 child protection referrals to social services in 2021 for domestic abuse.