1,000 breached their restraining orders in a year
BUT NUMBER LOWER THAN PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS
MORE than 1,000 people in Greater Manchester were taken to court in one year for breaching restraining orders.
In 2017, 1,054 people from the police force area appeared in court charged with breaching a restraining or nonmolestation order or an injunction against harassment.
While the number of breaches appears to be rising, the conviction rate for those who break the terms of orders to protect victims from harassment and the threat of violence is also rising.
Generally, there has been a rise in the number of breaches being prosecuted since 2007, when 97 people appeared in court.
However, the number has fallen from 1,140 in 2016, according to Ministry of Justice figures.
Part of the rise in people being prosecuted for breaching restraining orders may be due to more orders being made.
Section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (DVCVA 2004) came into force on September 30, 2009, enabling courts to impose a restraining order in a much wider range of circumstances.
Previously courts could only make a restraining order when sentencing or otherwise dealing with a defendant convicted of an offence of harassment, or of putting someone in fear of violence.
The figures show that there was a jump from 109 prosecutions in Greater Manchester in 2008 to 253 in 2009, following the change in law.
The figures show 88 per cent of those prosecuted for breaches in 2017 were convicted, a total of 932 convictions.
Generally, the conviction rate for breaches has improved over the period, rising from around 63pc before the change in law, to around 83pc between 2010 and 2014.
Of those convicted in 2017, 96pc were men, 895 out of 932, with most 25 and over – a total of 758 convictions.
Among those convicted in Greater Manchester in 2017 were six boys aged between 15 and 17, and 39 men and four women aged between 18 and 20. Across England and Wales, there were 14,523 prosecutions for breach of a restraining or non-molestation order or an injunction against harassment in 2017. These cases led to 12,326 convictions, representing a conviction rate of 85pc, the highest rate on record. Almost all of those convicted were men, 94pc in 2017, with most aged over 25. However, among those convicted in 2017 were six boys and one girl aged between 12 and 14, and 44 boys and eight girls aged between 15 and 17. Of those convicted in 2017, more than a quarter (28pc) were jailed, while 23pc were given a community order, 17pc fined and 14pc a suspended term. Of those jailed, 98pc received a sentence of less than a year, the most common sentence three to six months. Katie Ghose, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: “Civil protection orders, like non-molestation and restraining orders, can be a vital tool to protect survivors from experiencing further abuse or harassment from a former partner. From our work with survivors, we know survivors apply for civil protection orders when they feel that they and their children are at risk. “We have long been calling for abus-
We’ve (long called) for abusers to feel the full force of the law if they breach an order Katie Ghose of Women’s Aid
ers to feel the full force of the law if they breach an order, otherwise civil protection orders are just a piece of paper that offer survivors no peace of mind.
“That’s why we are pleased to see the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice which show that the criminal justice system is taking decisive action when orders are breached. Only by holding abusers to account for their crimes and taking steps to ensure that survivors are protected can we ensure that survivors will have confidence in the criminal justice system to safeguard them and their children.”