Victims let down 'time and time again', domestic abuse commissioner warns after damning report
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Victims of domestic abuse are being failed by a criminal justice system that is not up to the job, a damning report by the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales has said. Dame Nicole Jacobs warned the government's "ambitious" target of halving violence against women and girls within a decade will "fall flat" unless it addresses the criminal justice response to the issue.
Around 2.3 million people suffered domestic abuse in the 12 months to last March, according to the Crime Survey of England and Wales, but the report said less than a fifth of victims report to police, because of a system "ill-equipped to respond to the enormity of the challenge".
Of the 851,000 offences recorded by police in England and Wales during that period, less than 73,000 were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and around 49,000 resulted in charges, leading to less than 39,000 offenders being found guilty.
In other words, the report said: "Just 5% of police-recorded domestic abuse offences reach conviction; and less than a fifth of victims have the confidence to report to the police in the first place. Faith in the system is at an all-time low.". Dame Nicole told Sky News victims were being let down "time and time again".
"We're missing so many opportunities to use the tools that we do have - protection orders, the advocacy, support and advice - that we could signpost victims to at the earliest time," she said. She added: "Some of the statistics that stand out in my mind, I mean, they're shocking throughout the whole report, I have to say.".
